effects of natural (red bell pepper & tomato) and synthetic (astaxanthin & βcarotene) pigments on flower horn fish (cichlasoma sp.) blood parameters

Objective: in this survey, we have checked the effects of natural (red bell pepper and tomato) and synthetic (astaxanthin and â-carotene) pigments on bloods factors of flower horn (cichlasoma sp.). methods: five treatments (three replicates/treatment) were employed. fishes were separated in fifteen equal groups and were fed for eight weeks with diets containing10 g kg^–-1 red bell pepper and tomato and 100 mg kg^-1 astaxanthin and β-carotene. at the end of trial blood samples were taken from 5 fish that caught randomize by cutting the caudal stem. results: results of blood factors showed there is significant differences between wbcs, rbcs, hb, hct and lymphocytes between treatments (p<0.05). the best result observed in treatment fed with red bell pepper. between the factors of monocytes and neutrophils, there was no significant difference between treatments (p>0.05). the results showed that the use of red bell pepper in diets for flower horn is effective and profitable in its ration.