Otolith is calcareous concretions in fish inner ears. Its composition and structure are very stable. Its accretional growth follows a circadian rhythm that is physiologically controlled and influenced by environmental conditions. Otolith acts as biological archives providing the basis for the reconstruction of individual life traits and environmental parameters. The paper focuses on fish otolith trace elements and their isotopes, general testing methods and the prospect and problems of its application in environmental detection in recent 20 years, hoping that it could provide researchers with some thoughts and could expand its potential application in environmental science.