Identification of nine species of moray eel by SDS-PAGE

Abstract

Moray eels are commercially important fi sh species in Taiwan. These fi shes are distributed in the tropical and subtropical coral reef and are edible. To obtain useful information for identifying the species of moray eel that might be used in processed fi sh products, nine fresh moray eels including Gymnothorax favagineus, G. fi mbriatus, G. fl avimarginatus, G. meleagris, G. pseudothyrsoideus, G. undulatus, G. albimarginatus, G. javanicus and G. kidako were assayed using the electrophoresis method of SDS-PAGE. The SDS-PAGE patterns of myofi brillar and sarcoplasmic proteins for the nine fresh moray eel species showed species-specifi c protein bands of 30 kD. The species of moray eel meat that may occur in processed fi sh might therefore be identifi ed through comparison of the myofi brillar and sarcoplasmic proteins revealed by SDS-PAGE patterns.