Light colour affect the survival rate, growth performance, cortisol level, body composition, and digestive enzymes activities of different Snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii (Lacepede, 1801) larval stages

Snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) are widely cultured in the world. Light colours are among factors affecting fish performance in captivity. Snubnose pompano larvae often reared under white light. However, no study supports its choice or informs the extent of its effect or its constituent colour. The study investigated the influence of green, blue, yellow, purple, and white lights on growth, survival, cortisol, body composition, and digestive enzymes activities of one-day post-hatch Snubnose pompano larvae reared in light magenta tanks under a photoperiod of 24 Light:0 Dark hours for 25 days. Overall, the best growth performance of snubnose pompano larvae was in purple and white, and green lights during early and late larval stages, respectively. White light promoted survival rate while that of green light reduced. Larvae were less stressed and had enhanced body contents under white and purple light environments. Purple and yellow lights influenced low trypsin and pepsin activities. The study reports for the first time the effect of the light colour environment on the digestive enzyme activities and body composition of the finfish larvae. Generally, the study provides novel insights on optimal light colour in the larval rearing protocol of this species. Through this study, the use of white light during the first feeding (zero to four days post-hatch) and purple light in later stages (five days post-hatch until metamorphosis) is encouraged while discourages green and yellow lights in the larval rearing of Snubnose pompano.