To assess the effects of dietary xanthophyll on the growth and body color of discus fish (Symphysodon sp.), xanthophyll was added into the basal diet (beef heart hamburg) with the levels of 0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The six experimental diets were fed to discus fish with an initial body weight of (10.3±0.3) g for 8 weeks. The results showed that the supplementation of 50-200 mg/kg xanthophyll had no significant effects on the weight gain rate, but the feed coefficient ratio significantly increased and the weight gain rate significantly decreased when the xanthophyll supplementation reached 200 or 300 mg/kg respectively. After 4 or 8 weeks’ feeding, the skin lightness (L^*) showed no significant differences among groups, but the skin yellowness (b^*) increased with the increase of dietary xanthophyll. The b^* value and xanthophyll content in skin of all xanthophyll-supplemented groups in the 8^th week were higher than those in the 4^th week. The b^* values in the 4^th week and 8^th week, and the xanthophyll content in whole fish in the 8^th week remained relatively stable when the xanthophyll supplementation reached 300 mg/kg. In the 4^th week, the skin redness (a^*) showed no significant difference among groups, but in the 8^th week, the a^* values significantly decreased when the xanthophyll supplementation reached 100 mg/kg. The hepatic total antioxidant capacity was significantly strengthened by the supplementation of 300 or 400 mg/kg xanthophyll. The above results showed that dietary xanthophyll could effectively improve the yellowness of the skin and strengthen the hepatic total antioxidant capacity of discus fish, but the high inclusion of xanthophyll reduced the growth of the fish. The supplementation level of xanthophyll was suggested to be 200-300 mg/kg.