Polypterus Lacepède [B. G. E.] 1803:340 Masc. Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803. Type by subsequent monotypy. Extensive first description was given by Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1802 [1798]:97-98 [ref. 4183] and 1802:57-68 [ref. 26737], but genus name given only in the vernacular; apparently latinized first by Lacepède 1803 as above, with one species. •Valid as Polypterus Lacepède 1803 -- (Gosse 1984:19 [ref. 6169], Gosse 1988 [ref. 6868], Lévêque et al. 1989:113 [ref. 26480], Paugy & Bénech 1989:299 [ref. 26478], Paugy et al. 1990:332 [ref. 26477], Gosse in Lévêque et al. 1990:80 [ref. 21589], Poll & Gosse 1995:28 [ref. 24781], Seegers 1996:62 [ref. 23725], Dankwa et al. 1999:11 [ref. 28023], Britz 2004:179 [ref. 27800], Schliewen & Schäfer 2006:23 [ref. 28498], Britz 2007:169 [ref. 30014] with authorship as Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Suzuki et al. 2010:3 [ref. 31060], Moritz & Britz 2019:[11] [ref. 36886]). Current status: Valid as Polypterus Lacepède 1803. Polypteridae.