Influence of Tank Coloration in Modulating Physiological Growth, Survival and Skin Pigmentation Expression in Nursery‐Reared Channa striata

ABSTRACT Tank colour is a crucial environmental factor that influences growth performance; however, its effect on Channa striata fry under laboratory environments is not widely recognized. This study investigated the influence of tank coloration on growth, survival, cannibalism, and pigmentation of C. striata larvae under nursery rearing conditions. A 35‐day rearing trial was conducted using five treatments: control, white, black, blue, and red, each in triplicate. Larvae were fed trash fish paste and live feed at 5%–10% of body weight three times a day and adjusted weekly. Growth and survival differed significantly ( p < 0.05) among treatments. The results showed that fish reared in blue and white tanks achieved the highest final lengths (7.57 ± 0.88 cm and 7.32 ± 0.52 cm) and weight gains (3.40 ± 0.19 g and 3.18 ± 0.21 g), along with favourable feed conversion ratios. Survival rates were the highest in the white and blue colour tanks, whereas the control group exhibited the lowest survival rate. Cannibalism significantly decreased in blue and white tanks, while it remained high in the black and control treatments. Pigmentation assessment showed that tank background affected skin colour, with blue tanks having the highest hue angle and red tanks having the highest chroma value. The findings suggest that the rearing of C. striata larvae in blue and white tanks can considerably enhance growth and survival, providing a feasible and cost‐effective technique for improving the quality of seeds and the efficiency of production in snakehead aquaculture.