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Natural‐like pigmentation in cultured fish stocks, not only a matter of nutrition. A review of Salmonidae and Sparidae families, with a particular focus on the red porgy Pagrus pagrus
Author(s) -
Makri Vasiliki,
Feidantsis Konstantinos,
Papadopoulos Dimitrios,
Lattos Athanasios,
Georgoulis Ioannis,
Michaelidis Basile,
Giantsis Ioannis A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/are.15156
Subject(s) - biology , sparidae , fishery , pagrus major , aquaculture , context (archaeology) , pagrus , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , paleontology
Considering the high nutritional value of fish as food, in combination with the worldwide problem of overfishing, aquaculture constitutes a major sector of economic activity. Consumers of marine products are affected by the appearance and particularly of the fish colour. In this context, the coloration of the final product represents an important criterion for its final selection. The European Food Safety Authority has enacted a legislation regarding coloration in food. Although colour on the skin of fish is principally genetically determined, fish are unable to produce colour pigments. Therefore, diet is directly related to colour and the most common pigment is carotenoids. One of the most successful examples of aquaculture, in terms of skin coloration, is the red porgy Pagrus pagrus . Concerning the achievement of its colour, concatenated data from different studies show that the most effective method is the combination of two factors: diet with astaxanthin and maintenance of fish in short‐term periods in white background before sale. Moreover, alternative and effective ways for achievement of the desired colour are the submerged cages and the in sea cages with canopies. However, knowledge about carotenoids regarding fish coloration is scarce. Thus, future research is needed in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms concerning the chromatic plasticity in the skin of fish.