Nutritional Mechanisms Involved in the Occurrence of Abnormal Pigmentation in Hatchery‐reared Flatfish

The mass depigmentation (albinism) in the ocular side of flatfish, which resulted from the deficiency of pigments, has widely occurred in the process of seedling production. Although many researchers have investigated the mechanisms of depigmentation, little is known in this field. The author found that depigmentation resulted from nutritional deficiencies when 10 d old larvae were fed experimental microparticulate diets. This paper suggests that the rhodopsin formation of eye retina was hindered when vitamin A, docosahexaenoic acid and phospholipid were deficient in foods, resulting in the interruption of black pigment (melanin) formation.