Yes, this is why stunted fish tend to look "fat" and often times you'll see skeletal issues as well such as twisted spines or humped backs. some of the worst cases of stunting I've seen where in fish feed very well, as in healthy, high quality foods. But the water quality itself was very poor and never changed, simply topped of.
What about foods that will bring out the red color? I know red krill is good, but my eel is 24'' long and will only take fish meat. Salmon is astaxanthin rich, but not really cheap around here.
