Astaxanthin, which is an important metabolite with anti-oxidative property, has been discovered in some fish, shrimp, and microorganisms. Owing to the great advantages of microalgae-based astaxanthin in the aspects of sustainability and safety, microalgal astaxanthin is emerging into the limelight. In the past years, researchers isolated a couple of microalgal species and explored the synthesis pathways of astaxanthin in algal cells. Also, specific culture conditions, such as nitrogen deficiency, high-intensity illumination, and supply of glucose, salt or trace elements, promoting the accumulation of astaxanthin in microalgal cells have been intensively studied.

The main goal of this paper is to review the progresses in the production of microalgal astaxanthin and promote the wide use of microagal astaxanthin in aquaculture. In this regard, we summarized the studies on algal strains screening, synthetic mechanisms of microalgal astaxanthin, microalgae cultivation models, and fish-rearing with astaxanthin supplement. Based on the literature review, we discussed the challenges threatening the production and application of microalgal astaxanthin and pointed out the prospects of microalgal astaxanthin in the future. This work will provide a deep understanding of microalgal astaxanthin and its application in aquaculture.

虾青素是一种重要的具有抗氧化性能的代谢产物，已在一些鱼类，虾类和微生物中发现。由于基于微藻的虾青素在可持续性和安全性方面的巨大优势，微藻虾青素正成为人们关注的焦点。在过去的几年中，研究人员分离出了几种微藻物种，并探索了虾青素在藻细胞中的合成途径。另外，已经深入研究了特定的培养条件，例如氮缺乏，高强度光照以及葡萄糖，盐或微量元素的供应，这些促进虾青素在微藻细胞中的积累。

本文的主要目的是回顾微藻虾青素的生产进展，并促进微藻虾青素在水产养殖中的广泛应用。在这方面，我们总结了藻类菌株筛选，微藻虾青素合成机理，微藻培养模型和补充虾青素养鱼的研究。在文献综述的基础上，我们讨论了威胁微藻虾青素生产和应用的挑战，并指出了未来微藻虾青素的前景。这项工作将提供对微藻虾青素及其在水产养殖中的应用的深刻理解。