Notes on verification

Core figures (common ~7m, max ~8.8m) are corroborated across multiple sources, but exact maximum varies (6.7m-9.1m) depending on source and species split between M. birostris and M. yarae. General order of magnitude is well supported. [cascade flags: wikipedia_dropped_other_sources_exist | tier=silver indep_score=0.89 clusters=5 claim_tier=notable | framework convergence=partial on Much of the modern size-range consensus traces to Marshall et al. 2009 and subsequent citations of it, though maximum/record size figures (8.8-9.1m) trace to older historical fisherman-caught specimen reports (e.g., 1933 catch) reported via Guinness World Records lineage (upstreams: Marshall, Compagno & Bennett 2009 (Redescription of the genus Manta), FishBase, Guinness World Records) — publishers independent, evidence may not be | kind=empirical eligibility=high]