How Speculation Became Accepted Truth: Evidence that Aotearoa New Zealand Freshwater Eels Do Not Seem to Spawn “Near Tonga” or “East of Samoa”

Abstract

For several decades, the assumption that Aotearoa New Zealand freshwater eels spawn near Tonga (for longfin, Anguilla dieffenbachii) or east of Samoa (for shortfin, A. australis) has been widely repeated across scientific literature, governmental reports, public resources and community narratives, despite limited direct evidence. These claims originated from early scientific speculation and were not updated as new evidence emerged. This illustrates how preliminary ideas can become entrenched as accepted truth through repetition and raises a broader question: how can new scientific findings be communicated effectively when they challenge long-standing narratives?.