Identification of Cephalopod Species (Ommastrephidae and Loliginidae) in Seafood Products by Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing (FINS)

An identification technique of commercially important cephalopods based on 16s RNA analysis was developed. A set of primers was designed to amplify a fragment of approximately 200 bp that presents enough variability for reliable species identification. Sequences from this fragment of 9 different authentic species were studied, genetic distances were measured, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed, with individuals of the same species grouped within the same cluster. Eight different types of commercial seafood products, mainly labelled as “squid rings”, were analyzed and sequences were employed for species identification showing that FINS is a suitable technique for identification of processed cephalopods.