Abstract
A blue carotenoprotein fraction was liberated from the muscular epithelium of the black tiger prawn Penaeus monodon by extraction with a collagenase solution, leaving another carotenoid fraction in the tissue. Carotenoids in both fractions were analyzed and compared between dark gray prawns and blue ones. The main carotenoid in the carotenoprotein was free astaxanthin, of which content showed no significant difference between the two groups. The muscular epithelium after the removal of blue carotenoprotein turned red owing to the remaining carotenoids which were composed largely of astaxanthin esters. The total content of the remaining red carotenoids was about six-fold higher in the dark gray than blue group. Thus the different body color of cultured black tiger prawns is suggested to bedue to the varied composition of the blue carotenoprotein and red carotenoid fractions in the muscular epithelium.
