Aetobatus ocellatus (Kuhl, 1823)

Spotted Eagle Ray

Myliobatus ocellatus Kuhl in van Hasselt, 1823: 316 . No original types designated; Neotype: MZB 18225; neotype designation by White et al. (2010). Type locality: Java, Indonesia .

Local synonymy: Myliobatis punctatus Miklouho-Maclay & Macleay, 1886: 675, pl. 46 (figs 1-6) (Hermit Islands; Admiralty Islands). Aetobatus punctatus— Munro, 1958: 114 (Haidana Island; Waterfall Bay, New Britain). Aetobatus ocellatus— Munro, 1967: 16, pl. 2, fig. 21 (New Guinea); White et al., 2018: 280, figs (PNG). Aetobatus narinari— Filewood, 1973: 14 (PNG); Haines, 1979a: 6 (Purari Delta); Allen et al., 2003: 112 (Milne Bay); Hamilton et al., 2009: 73 (northern Bismarck Archipelago); Drew et al., 2012: 5 (Bootless Bay). Aetobatis narinari— Gochfeld, 1996: 43 (southern New Ireland).

PNG voucher material: (3 spec.) FMNH 120552, female ~ 350 mm DW, boat jetty at Tahira, Bootless Bay, Port Moresby, 9°30’26” S, 147°17’12” E , 18 Jan. 2011; KFRS E.684, male 880 mm DW, Daru fish market, Daru, Western Province, 23 Oct. 2014 ; NMV A 15817 (stuffed), 545 mm DW, no collection data.

Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Miklouho-Maclay & Macleay (1886) who described it as a new species, Myliobatis punctatus, from the Hermit and Admiralty Islands. Previously considered synonymise with Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) but the latter species restricted to the Atlantic Ocean. Previously placed in the family Myliobatidae .