The effect of ripe papaya, Carica papaya, as natural carotenoids meal on body pigmentation and growth performance in banded gourami, Trichogaster fasciata

The present investigation elucidates the synergistic effects of improvised ecological parameters and ripe papaya ( Carica papaya ) meal on skin pigmentation, growth performance and survival of Banded gourami, Trichogaster fasciata , under confined environment. A feeding trial of 60 days was done with initial length groups from 6.6 to 9.7 cm using five isonitrogenous experimental diets formulated by supplementing graded levels of carotenoids at 1 to 5% and a control without carotenoids. Two ecological parameters temperature and light intensity were elevated using artificial modulators. At the onset of the feeding trial, the total carotenoid concentration in fish muscle in both male (2.94±0.07 μg.g -1 ) and female (2.54±0.05 μg.g -1 ), respectively, which significantly increased, highest being in male (6.86±0.12 μg.g -1 ) and female (5.96±0.07μg.g -1 ) fishes fed with 4% papaya meal. Positive correlation, (0.98) in male and (0.97) female was observed between elevated levels of dietary carotenoids and body pigmentation which revealed that incorporation of dietary carotenoids resulted in a significant increase in total carotenoid concentration in chromatophores. Congenial effects were observed on body indices was revealed by positive correlation of weight (0.79) to elevated levels of carotenoid and 100% survival rate of the fishes. The feeding regimes showed ripe papaya meal as cheap natural colour enhancer source can be safely supplemented at 4% levels in the diets to increase the skin pigmentation and optimum conditioning in optimized captive environment having temperature range of 26-28 o C and light intensity 344.0-346 Lux, without any xenobiotic effect on Banded gourami.