The Effect of Copper on the Color of Shrimps: Redder Is Not Always Healthier

<div><p>The objective of this research is to test the effects of copper on the color of pacific white shrimp (<i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>) <i>in</i><i>vivo</i>. Forty-eight shrimps (<i>L. vannamei</i>) were exposed to a low concentration of copper (1 mg/L; experimental treatment) and forty-eight shrimps were used as controls (no copper added to the water). As a result of this experiment, it was found that shrimps with more copper are significantly redder than those designated as controls (hue _{(500–700 nm)}: P = 0.0015; red chroma _{(625–700 nm)}: P<0.0001). These results indicate that redder color may result from exposure to copper and challenge the commonly held view that highly pigmented shrimps are healthier than pale shrimps.</p>