Coloration: Where Do The Colors In Fish Come From?

One reason many people find fish so captivating is the astounding variety of colors they come in. have you ever wondered how they get their beautiful coloring? Why are fish red, blue, shiny or black? And how do you keep your fish looking their best?

Where Do The Colors In Fish Come From?

The colors displayed by fish are the result of a combination of factors.

Colored pigments are held in special cells called chromatophores in the skin. The most important pigments are carotenoids, which are responsiblel for red and yellow hues, and melanins, for the black and brown hues. The distribution of chromatophores is genetically determined, but the pigments themselves are derived from the fishes’ diet.

In addition to the colored pigments, chromatophores can contain reflective crystals that make the fish shiny. The concentration of reflective crystals determines how shiny a fish is; the crystals are obviously much more concentrated in the silver-colored species.

Other structures, such as proteins, work in conjunction with the chromatophors to produce the wide range of colors. For example, the blue hues of neon tetra result from a combination of chromatophores and proteins.

A good illustration of this, although not directly related to fish, is provided by lobsters. The natural coloration of lobsters and shrimp is blue—the result of a red carotenoid (astazanthin) being combined with a protein to produce blue “crustacyanin.” When these crustaceans are cooked, the protein is separated from the carotenoid, leaving only the red coloration behind—we thus tend to think of lobsters as red!

How To Keep Fish Looking Their Best

Because fish get carotenoids and other important constituents of coloration from their diet, it is up to us to provide them with the means to look their best.

Most foods contain a reasonable source of carotenoids, but you can also buy special color-enhancing ones to really boost your fishes’ appearance. Color-enhancing foods contain additional sources of carotenoids such as paprika, astazanthin, shrimp meal, and Spirulina.

For example, TetraColor and Spectrum Cichlid Formula contain a concentrated source of carotenoids in a crisp format which ensures that the fish receive a complete and highly digestible diet while enhancing their colors. When fish fed on an ordinary diet switch to a color-enhancing one, the effects are usually noticeable within a few weeks.

Color-enhancing foods are especially beneficial for highly colored fish, such as Rainbow Fish, Cardinal Tetras, Platies, and Cherry Barbs.

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