THE EFFECTS OF CHINA ROSE POWDER CONCENTRATIONS ON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CHROMATOPHORES IN ORNAMENTAL FISH BLUE GOURAMI (Trichogaster trichopterus)  

Maryam Jorjani*, Amin Mirhashemi Rostami, Mostafa  
 Sharifrohani, Tayebeh Enayat Golampour, Koroush Amini, Aileen Tan Shau Hwai
 
 Inland waters Aquatics Stocks Research
 Gorgan, Golestan Province, Iran
 maryam_jorjani@yahoo.com  

Currently, ornamental fish are gaining more importance not just because of their aesthetic value but also its commercial value in export trade around the globe (Joseph et al., 2011). Ornamental fish are characterized by their wide diversity of colours and patterns. Natural carotenoids from plants are considered to be a good and economical alternative in inducing growth and pigmentation in fish. Blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) is an ornamental fish of great importance that contributed greatly in the international trade because of its colour and behavior. This research was to evaluate the effect of China Rose (Hibiscus rosasinensis), a natural carotenoid, on the distribution and number of chromatophores in the ornamental fish, blue gourami. China Rose powder was added to the artificial diet (Biomar Company) at 0.0.5.1.5 and 2.5%. A total of 120 fish were stocked in 12 aquaria (60×30×30cm) containing 10 fish for 70 days. Each treatment had three replicates. Fishes were feed twice a day. Water was changed daily. At the end of experiment, scales were removed and tested under digital microscope. Result indicated that two out of five chromatophores (punctate-stellate and stellate) were observed in blue gourami fish based on the results of scales chromatophores analysis). Results showed that the addition of China Rose could increase significantly the number of punctuate-stellate chromatophores in the scale of blue gourami (P<0.05). A total of 2.5 % of China Rose powder was the highest enhancement at the compare of control group. There were no significant differences between 1.5 and 2.5%. There were significant differences between 1.5% compared to control group. The results also indicated that there were significant differences between 0.5% compared to control for stellate chromatophores (P<0.05). These results show that China Rose can affect increasing number of chromatophores in ornamental fish blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus).