Utility of Stable Isotope and Cytochrome Oxidase I Gene Sequencing Analyses in Inferring Origin and Authentication of Hairtail Fish and Shrimp

Mislabeling of fishery products continues to be a serious threat to the global market. Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to develop tools for authenticating and establishing their true origin. This investigation evaluates the suitability of stable isotopes and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequencing in identifying and tracing the origin of hairtail fish and shrimp. By use of COI sequencing, the hairtail fish samples were identified as Trichiurus japonicus and Trichiurus lepturus, while the shrimp samples were identified as Pandalus borealis, Marsupenaeus japonicus, Fenneropenaeus chinensis, Litopenaeus vannamei, Penaeus monodon, and Solenocera crassicornis. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of stable isotopes further categorized the individuals of the same species based on the country of origin. Natural and farmed shrimp (from the same country) were distinctly differentiated on the basis of stable isotope values. Therefore, these two methods could be cooperatively utilized to identify and authenticate fishery products, the utilization of which would enhance transparency and fair trade.