title: The effect of copper on the color of shrimps: redder is not always healthier.
abstract: The objective of this research is to test the effects of copper on the color of pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in vivo. Forty-eight shrimps (L. vannamei) were exposed to a low concentration of copper (1 mg/L; experimental treatment) and forty-eight shrimps were used as controls (no copper added to the water). As a result of this experiment, it was found that shrimps with more copper are significantly redder than those designated as controls (hue (500-700 nm): P=0.0015; red chroma (625-700 nm): P<0.0001). These results indicate that redder color may result from exposure to copper and challenge the commonly held view that highly pigmented shrimps are healthier than pale shrimps.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México.
authors.forename: Yanet
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Sisal, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascaró
authors.affiliation: Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: López-Rull
authors.affiliation: Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Sisal, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Química Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Flor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arcega-Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Sisal, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaxiola
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006262:Health; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003300:Copper