Seafood Mislabeled: Oceana Samples Misrepresented, Tuna and Snapper Most Common

You might be a Red Lobster fan or love your chicken of the sea (i.e., tuna), but a study regarding oceanic treats shows that you might not actually be eating what you purchase.

A two-year study of more than 1,200 seafood samples by Oceana, an environmental advocacy group, shows that a third of seafood sold in grocery stores and restaurants is mislabeled.

DNA testing of the samples between 2010 and 2012 also found that 33 percent was mislabeled according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Snapper and tuna were the most commonly mislabeled fish, with up to 87 percent of samples of snapper mislabeld, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More than 30 different species of fish were found to be substituted for the snapper, but the most common were rockfish and tilapia.

Tuna was mislabeled 59 percent of the time and most commonly swapped with escolar, a type of mackerel that contains gempylotoxin, a toxin that can cause gastrointestinal problems.

"Our findings demonstrate that a comprehensive and transparent traceability system - one that tracks fish from boat to plate - must be established at the national level," Oceana said in a statement. "At the same time, increased inspection and testing of our seafood, specifically for mislabeling, and stronger federal and state enforcement of existing laws combating fraud are needed to reverse these disturbing trends. "

The group collected samples from grocery stores, restaurants and sushi venues nationally and found that the highest mislabeling rate - 52 percent-- occurred in Southern California.

Of the three retail outlets, sushi venues most frequently mislabeled fish at a rate of 74 percent.

Oceana advises consumers to ask questions about the seafood they purchase and to be skeptical of low prices.