1990 Volume 56 Issue 6 Pages 935-939
The pigmentation of the flesh of cultured coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch was examined on a practical scale by feeding diets supplemented mainly with Antarctic krill and littoral mysid both of which are rich in a red carotenoid, astaxanthin. Approximately 10, 000 and 6, 000 juvenile freshwater coho salmon weighing 160-180g were acclimatized to sea water and then maintained in two net pens for feeding. Diets No.1 and 2 that contained carotenoids at concentrations of 0.1-0.4mg end 1.1-4.1mg/100g, respectively. On the 127th day the fish from Diet No.1 group and as early as on about 50th day those from Diet No.2 group accumulated carotenoids in the flesh to 0.6mg/100g, the flesh color being fairly close to that of wild coho salmon. In the case of the fish from Diet No.2 group the content of carotenoids reached 1.0mg/100g on the 127th day, which is almost the same as that of wild fish.
