Occurrences of a variety of carotenoprotein complexes such as b-carotene, b-cryptoxanthin, lutein, antheraxanthin, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and violaxanthin were analysed in both species. Ion-exchange chromatography revealed that the isolated protein-carotenoid complexes of fairy shrimp had astaxanthin and canthaxanthin as pros- thetic groups and belong to the type g-crustacy- anine. In Moina micrura the protein-carotenoid complex had astaxanthin as their prosthetic group and belongs to the type a-crustacyanine (Figs. 1 and 2).