Inclusion of carotenoids in broodstock diets for gilthead seabream

Carotenoids are known to be necessary in diclS fOf broodstock of sc"cral specics including sparids. Howcver, thi~ al>pt:!,;l uf brouuslol;k nuLriliun hiClll lIul lx::t:n yl:l ~ludil;:d i1I :'1."llLrt:alll. TIIU:', 1I,]!: ubjl;:~livl;: uf 1111: pl1:l>1:1I1 experiment 'Nas lo invcstigale the ctlecl 0 1' supplementation 01" practical diels tor gilthead seabream wi th two different camten(1id_~ concentration levels (30 and 60 mgfkg fmm a paprika source) in combinalion with tv.',1 n-3 HUFA lc\-cls (2.5 and 4 % dry wcight, from fish oil) on cgg and spawning quulity. Thirty s i" matUTe scabrearns (Spams a:/r(J(a L., 1758) of 1.20 kg average body wdght fur tht: females and 0.460 kg lar the males wert: divided inlO 12 groups of 2 males and 1 lemale in I m3 tibre tanks and fed onc 01' ihe Ibllowing diets: 3012.5 (30 mglkg to tal carote"loids Md 2.50/0 HUFA), 30/4 (10 mg/lcg tOlal carolenoids anrl4.0 HU FA), 60/2.5 (60 mglkg total carotcnoids flnd 2.5 HUFA) flnd 6014 (60 mg/kg 10lel cflrolenoids and 4 HUFA). Each d iet was tested by triplicates. Fish were fed three times a day for 7 wceks l.~% bodyweightlday. Five spawning qualit}' paramelers were daily recorded for 30 da)·s. 8esides, samples ofeggs were taken alonj! me c:\peri mental period and analyzed for proximale aOO fally atid composilion. After 60 days of feeding , spawning quality was signi licanlly higher in Ihe broodslock fed 60/4 d ie!. In average, along !he wholc fccding pcriCKI egg viability and halching mtes, together wilh total number of viable eggs, jusI hatched out larvae and number ofalive lanae al mouth op~n:ng were signi ficantl y higher lar broodstock fed this 60/4 diel. Elevation of either carotenoids content of n-3 HUFA, only sl ighlly, but nol significanlly improved cenain spawning quality puameters. Analysis showed that earolenoids from paprika wcre succcssfully incorporatcd inlo eggs, suggcsting the good utilization of this ingredient by gilthead seabream broodstod:: and its effectiveness lo improve sp~""ning quality in this species.