Recently, Aetobatus (eagle ray) identifications in the Galapagos have been revised from A. laticeps to A. ocellatus based on an unpublished phylogenetic capstone project. From what I’ve read, species within the genus are highly variable in appearance, so molecular data is necessary to determine species, and the paper notes that there hadn’t previously been any molecular studies in the Galapagos. The genus also has a history of inconsistent classification, with some sources listing A. narinari as a synonym for A. laticeps, and thus the species present in the Galapagos.
I don’t have an issue with assigning A. ocellatus to observations in the Galapagos in this case given the paucity of local data for the genus, but it raised questions on the burden of proof for changing IDs when regional species ID is contested. How are the results of an unpublished study weighed against information provided by taxonomic authorities listed on the curator’s page, which I assume only revise species distributions based on published studies (e.g. Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes still lists A. ocellatus as the species present in the Galapagos)? As it stands, the majority of Aetobatus observations in the Galapagos are bumped up to the genus level. While many will likely eventually reach species, I can foresee substantive differences in approach depending on whether one chooses to follow taxonomic authorities and published studies exclusively, or if any emergent information is considered sufficient to change the regional assignment for observations within the genus.
Has this topic been addressed before in the forum?