Effect of astaxanthin pigment on growth performance, survival and pigmentation in postlarval stage of white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

The aim of this research was to study the effect of astaxanthin pigment on growth performance (weight again, specific growth rate and final body weight), survival and pigment accumulation in postlarvae of white leg shrimp. This study was carried out in spring 2011 at Kolahi Aquatic Development Center. Some 8-day postlarvae with mean (±SD) initial weight 5.3±1.6mg were fed diets with containing various levels (0, 50, 100 and 200mg/kg diet) of astaxanthin pigment for 30 days. Shrimp fed with diet without astaxanthin pigment served as control. Shrimp fed diets containing 50, 100 and 200mg/kg astaxanthin, growth performance and survival was significantly higher than control group. The pigment accumulation rate was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analysis of pigment accumulation showed that the higher increasing astaxanthin pigment amount in the diets, the higher growth performance and survival rate in postlarvae; as in postlarvae fed with 200mg astaxanthin/kg, final weight (700.6±12.7mg) and survival rate (82±1.5%) was significantly higher than control group (484.2±28.9, 54.7±4.5% final weight and survival rate, respectively). Due to nutritional properties of astaxanthin pigment and the positive effect on growth and survival, the feeding of postlarval white leg shrimp with the diet containing at least 100mg astaxanthin/kg is recommended