International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 28-34 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 28 Review Article Open Access Advances and Challenges in Wild Fish Species Identification in Hainan Island and the South China Sea Guilin Wang1, Haimei Wang2 1 Center for Tropical Marine Fisheries Research, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025,Hainan, China 2 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding author: haimei.wang@hibor.com International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, doi: 10.5376/ijms.2025.15.0003 Received: 03 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 05 Feb., 2025 Published: 15 Feb., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Wang and Wang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang G.L., and Wang H.M., 2025, Advances and challenges in wild fish species identification in Hainan Island and the South China Sea, International Journal of Marine Science, 15(1): 28-34 (doi: 10.5376/ijms.2025.15.0003) Abstract This study explores the progress and challenges of species identification of wild fish in Hainan Island and the South China Sea region. Hainan Island and the South China Sea region are rich in Marine and freshwater habitats with a wide variety of fish species. Traditional morphological methods have limitations when distinguishing different fish species. By using technologies such as DNA barcoding, environmental DNA (eDNA), and high-throughput sequencing, the accuracy and efficiency of fish species identification will be enhanced, making it easier to discover hidden new species, monitor new species, and invasive fish communities. New technologies such as vision artificial intelligence image recognition, multi-modal data fusion, and regional fish database construction have developed a more intelligent and standardized species identification system. The combination of technological research and practice has made Hainan Island and the South China Sea region a popular area for the development and application of fish species identification technology. Keywords Hainan Island and the South China Sea; Fish species identification; DNA barcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA); Image recognition and multi-modal technologies; Biodiversity conservation 1 Introduction Hainan Island and the South China Sea are the core areas of wild fish diversity in China. A total of 363 species of fish were discovered in the coastal waters of Hainan Island, belonging to 226 genera, 114 families and 24 orders. The finnadiformes were the most common (Xiong et al., 2018; Luo et al., 2023). A total of 188 species of fish were detected in the sea area near Wuzhizhou Island by using environmental DNA technology. There are 41 species around Xidao (Xi et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2024). The freshwater system on the island is equally impressive. A total of 154 species of freshwater fish were recorded in Hainan, among which 31 species were endemic to the local area and held a special position in the national fish diversity (Xiong et al., 2018). Accurate identification of wild fish, as well as effective resource protection and fishery management, are fundamental tasks. Reliable identification technology can help identify changes in fish diversity and formulate effective countermeasures. DNA barcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques can distinguish fish with similar appearances and many previously unrecorded species can be discovered (Zhang et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2024). These technologies provide comprehensive and non-invasive monitoring methods to avoid the decline in the number of rare or endemic fish species due to overfishing or habitat destruction, and can achieve sustainable fishery development (Xiong et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2023) This study will explore the new progress in the identification of wild fish in Hainan Island and the South China Sea region. Traditional methods and molecular techniques. Through means such as organizational DNA barcoding, environmental DNA testing and ecological investigation, the significance of precise identification in biodiversity assessment, ecological change monitoring and management protection is expounded. This study will also analyze how to solve problems such as incomplete species records and environmental pressure, as well as the challenges encountered, providing a foundation for future research and decision-making.
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