Astaxanthin: The reason salmon is pink is the reason your eyes are protected

Wild salmon, flamingos, and shrimp are pink/red because they accumulate astaxanthin from the food chain (microalgae -> krill -> fish). Astaxanthin crosses the blood-retinal barrier (unlike beta-carotene or lutein), depositing directly in the retina. The color of salmon is a visual marker of a compound that specifically protects the tissue that processes visual information.Publications of interest:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7281326/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32370045/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37897411/