Yasmina Asih

PhD Candidate

Project: Dietary carotenoid supplementations to modulate yellow colouration of giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus and the impact of environmental and physiological factors on their efficacy.

Yasmina’s PhD aims to further understand how dietary carotenoids, environmental conditions and physiological factors influence skin colouration of giant grouper.

To be competitive in the market, farmed fish must match the quality of the wild-caught fish. Skin colouration of farmed fish is typically less vibrant due to limited dietary carotenoids. The first component of her project is optimising dietary carotenoid content to promote yellow colouration of giant grouper skin. The second is to challenge the fish in different environmental and stress-induced settings to identify whether this stress modulates the dietary effects on skin colour, antioxidant capacity or stress response.

By evaluating the effects of different carotenoid pigments on giant grouper pigmentation and welfare, this research will provide substantial information in the selection of pigment supplements for diet formulation applications. These findings are expected to advise aquafeed industry, giant grouper husbandry practices and contribute to further knowledge regarding fish skin pigmentation.