falciformis, Monodactylus Lacepède [B. G. E.] (ex Commerson) 1801:131, 132 [Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 3; ref. 2710] No locality stated [western Indian Ocean]. Holotype (unique): MNHN A-5441 (dry). Illustrated on Pl. 5 (fig. 4) of v. 2, 1800 [ref. 2709], but with vernacular name. Based on 'Psettus spinis pinnarum ventralium loco duabus' in description and illustration in manuscript by Commerson (Philibert Commerson, 1727-1773, French explorer and naturalist). Also appeared in Sonnini 1803:147, 148 (vol. 8) [ref. 30473]. •Valid as Monodactylus falciformis Lacepède 1801 -- (Dor 1984:165 [ref. 29757], Heemstra 1986:607 [ref. 5660], Desoutter 1986:338 [ref. 6212], Allen 1991:140 [ref. 21090], Talwar & Jhingran 1991:868 [ref. 20764], Skelton 1993:359 [ref. 24071], Poll & Gosse 1995:103 [ref. 24781], Goren & Dor 1994:46 [ref. 25356], Fricke 1999:325 [ref. 24106], Skelton 2001:359 [ref. 27406], Manilo & Bogorodsky 2003:S111 [ref. 27377], Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:255 [ref. 28072], Fricke et al. 2009:71 [ref. 30213], Psomadakis et al. 2015:290 [ref. 34104], Fricke et al. 2018:232 [ref. 35805], Arndt & Fricke 2019:21 [ref. 36883], Heemstra 2022:345 [ref. 39773]). Current status: Valid as Monodactylus falciformis Lacepède 1801. Monodactylidae. Distribution: Red Sea; western Indian Ocean: Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar and western Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius) east to Pakistan. Habitat: freshwater, brackish, marine.