Hidden or inadvertent illegal amphibian trade? Genetic analyses reveal Quasipaa spinosa misidentified as Hoplobatrachus chinensis in the trade

Amphibian misidentification within the commercial wildlife trade represents a growing challenge for biodiversity conservation and wildlife regulation. Morphologically similar species are frequently traded under incorrect names, which can obscure conservation status, facilitate illegal trade, and mislead consumers. We purchased four specimens advertised as Hoplobatrachus chinensis , a widespread farmed species, from an online marketplace in China. Because of their unexpected morphology upon reception, we barcoded them with a widely used tyrosinase ( TYR ) gene marker. We reconstructed a Bayesian inference-based phylogeny using a final dataset consisting of 572 bp from 51 homologous TYR sequences. The resulting tree clustered all four samples within the Quasipaa spinosa clade with high posterior probabilities (>0.99), rather than H. chinensis as advertised. This finding indicates that a protected species has been misidentified and traded despite China’s wildlife trade regulations. The case underscores the urgent need for accurate taxonomic identification tools for traders to prevent such misidentifications and stricter amphibian trade regulations to curb the ongoing illegal trade of threatened taxa.