Fish species identification by thin layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing: collaborative study

A method for fish species identification by isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins on LKB Ampholine PAGplates, pH 3.5--9.5, was collaboratively studied to determine whether photographs of protein patterns from authentic species could be used to identify unknown samples. Seven collaborators were sent 8 unknown samples in duplicate to identify from an 8 X 10 in. photograph of an Ampholine PAGplate showing standard protein patterns from 14 species of fish. The 7 collaborator identified the unknown samples with 93% accuracy. Eight of 14 monkfish samples were not identified correctly and showed protein patterns different from the protein patterns shown in the photographic standard. All of the incorrectly identified samples showed the sam protein pattern. The other 7 unknown species were all correctly identified. The method has been adopted as official first action.