>To: fukada at hawaii.edu
>Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 05:50:01 -1000
>Subject: naturose question
>X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-1,6-12,14-15,17,19,21-28,30-35,37,39,41-43,45,
> 47-50,52-82,84,86-120
>From: kawahigashi at juno.com (David K. Kawahigashi)
>Status:
>
>Dear Mach,
>
>I forwarded your question on carotenoids and behavior in fish to my
>buddies at cyanotech and received this response. Hope this helps out.
>Keep in touch and thanks for the info on the fish farm for sale.
>$15,000. doesn't sound bad. Too bad it doesn't include a house and lot.
>
>
>Aloha, David
>
>
>David/Harry...
> [I am forwarding this to Harry Ako also for comments based on
>his experience] Thanks for the information on the tropicals...My
>theory:
>Coloration in ornamentals is almost exclusively related to identification
>and mating purposes, in some cases camouflage. Thus, when some species
>of
>captive fish that have not been exposed to carotenoids (and thus not to
>full
>pigmentation) are then pigmented by carotenoids, territorial responses
>can
>be triggered. Probably species-specific and dependent on degree. So I
>agree with the behavioral response. There is no evidence that I know of
>that carotenoids are metabolized or converted to any hormonal
>compounds...HOWEVER, an intriguing notion is that carotenoids are derived
>from the isoprenoid pathway which branches off to form hormones, so I
>couldn't *completely* discount the biological theory...It's a "simple"
>enough theory to test, you radiolabel astaxanthin with C-14 and do some
>trafficking experiments of the metabolites via extraction, purification
>and
>scintillation counting or HPLC. Then when you identify a metabolite
>(probably at picogram levels!), you could feed it back to test for the
>hormonal effects... Harry would be happy to take on this little project!
> Females that have too much visual color should have inclusion
>rates of carotenoids lowered in their diets, incorporation could be
>sex-related...this is a valuable observation and would make an
>interesting
>experiment....dose vs. coloration effects based on sex. Females
>generally
>have a higher astaxanthin requirement and turnover (salmonids, shrimp,
>etc)
>as it is often transported into the ovaries and deposited into eggs as
>protection against UV light and oxygen radicals.
> It's not really reasonable to formulate diets with a different level
>of
>astaxanthin for each sex, but it does indicate that levels for females
>might
>be too high (ie better uptake and incorporation) and one could lower the
>formula dosage and find a compromise that will pigment both sexes to an
>acceptable level.
> Thanks for the discussions, I hope Harry will have more to
>add!
>
>
> <Todd>
>
>
>R. Todd Lorenz, Ph.D.
>Scientific Director
>Cyanotech Corporation
>73-4460 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy #102
>Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
>USA
>tel: 1-808-326-1353
>fax: 1-808-329-3597
>
>
>
>At 04:26 PM 7/23/98 -0700, you wrote:
>>Hi Todd and Lloyd,
>>
>>Here's a technical question on naturose from back home. Is there a
>>biological compound that stimulated agressive behavior in fish...I doubt
>>it...probably more behaviorial. What's your take on this?
>>
>>Catch you soon. Aloha, David
>>
>>
>>Hi David,
>>
>
>>I was also wondering if you knew the mechanism behind astaxanthin color
>>enhancement? I know that it appears that it is the precursor for many
>of
>>the reds, yellows, oranges, but could it be doing other things? A
>friend
>>of mine has been fooling around with it and noticed that his fish, that
>>are
>>known to be very peaceful, have begun to figh. Male/male agression has
>>increased to the point that spawning/egg production has dropped off.
>>Hypothesis 1 says it is the result of the increased colors making the
>>males
> >look like they have their agressive displays on full blast. My
>>hypothesis
>>is that there are some other biologically active compounds in the
>>naturose
>>preparation that are behaving like hormonal analogs (either primary or
>>secondary products of metabolic breakdown). It seemed to me that some of
>>the female rainbows treated with the stuff seemed to be more colorful
>>than
>>they should have been. It was allmost as if they were showing some male
>>coloration. Any ideas?
>>
>>thanks for your time David,
>>
>>Mahalo,
>>MTF
>>
>>
>>
>>Mach T. Fukada, Web Master
>>fukada at hawaii.edu
>>Honolulu Aquarium Society
>>http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2948/HASF.html
>>
>>
>
>
>
>--------- End forwarded message ----------
>
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>Feeding Astaxanthin from hatching: I just had one tank of papuae fry that I
>starting feeding the powder to from day one. They were fed this every other
>feeding or so, alternating with fresh APR powder and spirulina. When they got
>larger they received baby brine shrimp and more Astaxanthin ( pronounced asta
>like Shasta, Zan-thin). I didn't really think much of it until someone came
>over and we got out the flashlight to have a better look. At 1/2 inch they
>were some of the brightest papuae that I've ever raised! Really bright
>yellows
>and oranges. Just like the bright colors shown on Neal Armstrong's slides of
>wild caught fish. I am now starting to use this product on all of my fry. If
>I can produce good colors early on it should be MUCH easier to sell
>rainbowfish
>at a much earlier age to the pet industry. I should repeat that
>Astaxanthin is
>a natural product much like spirulina is and is not a chemical hormone so
>it is
>without those type of problem side-effects. I think that the color will stay
>with the fish as long as it would have if it had been colored using live foods
>in a life outdoors. For fish like parkinsoni adults this can easily be 8-9
>months.
>
Mach T. Fukada, Web Master
fukada at hawaii.edu
Honolulu Aquarium Society
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2948/HASF.html