Distinct regional profiles of trace element content in muscle of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica from Japan, Taiwan, and China

Trace element distribution patterns were examined in Japanese eel from five Asian regions for the purpose of identifying the elements and patterns that could be used to determine provenance. Distinctive patterns were found in eels from the Japanese prefectures of Miyazaki, Kagawa, and Shizuoka, and from Taiwan and China. The levels of six trace elements, selenium, mercury, copper, manganese, zinc, and arsenic, in muscle tissue varied among eels of different origins, and factorial analysis of the elemental patterns showed that Factor 1 was attributable to selenium and mercury levels and Factor 2 to zinc and copper levels. Multivariate analysis showed that the patterns of elemental composition in fish muscle were mainly differentiated by these two factors.