A batch of commercial feed used to maintain shrimps in intensive farming systems, was supplemented with xanthophylls industrially extracted from marigold T. erecta flowers to produce pellets with 150 ppm of total carotenoid concentration, which were used to feed Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae (PL₇, 0.78 mg). The supplemented diet increased the total carotenoid concentration in postlarvae, due to a real increase in the accumulation of astaxanthin, compared to those fed with the no supplemented control diet. Regardless the diet, the astaxanthin concentration post-feeding accounted for more than 85% of the total carotenoid concentration in shrimp, while betacarotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, and other non-identifiable carotenoids comprised a minority of the total concentration. In all analyzed samples, more than 90% of astaxanthin was in esterified form. This result indicates that L. vannamei can metabolize precursor dietary xanthophylls to produce the astaxanthin. In general, improved survival was seen in postlarvae groups fed with supplemented diets compared to groups fed with the control diet. Similar effects were seen in postlarvae, which included artemia nauplii in their diet.