The use of carotenoid pigments as food additives for aquatic organisms and their functional roles

Abstract Aquatic organisms have various pigments contained in their body and may be an important characteristic for the consumer choice. Carotenoids are the main group of pigments present in aquatic organisms and play an important role not only in colouring but also in the growth, reproduction and maintenance of these animals. As aquatic animals do not have the ability to synthesize carotenoids, they must be ingested in the food, and in some cases, they are converted into forms that are possible to store or use in the animal metabolism. In this work, information was collected about the colour characteristics of aquatic organisms and their influence on aquaculture. Various dietary ingredients, such as vegetables and microorganisms, may be potential sources of pigments for aquaculture species, reducing production costs and dependence on synthetic sources of carotenoids. Some species with aquaculture potential may be better studied in terms of the ability to use carotenoid pigments and their function in the body.