ambassis, Centropomus Lacepède [B. G. E.] (ex Commerson) 1802:252, 273 [Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 4; ref. 4929] Réunion, western Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean. Syntypes: MNHN A-5470 (3, dry, Commerson specimens). Type catalog: Bauchot & Desoutter 1987:99 [ref. 12478]. Based on description in manuscript by Commerson (Philibert Commerson, 1727-1773, French explorer and naturalist); Commerson specimens later identified (and they are the underlying specimens for Commerson's description and hence syntypes). •Synonym of Ambassis gymnocephalus (Lacepède 1802) -- (Maugé 1986:297 [ref. 6218]). •Valid as Ambassis ambassis (Lacepède 1802) -- (Fricke 1999:172 [ref. 24106], Anderson & Heemstra 2003:201 [ref. 27368], Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:154 [ref. 28072], Fricke et al. 2009:42 [ref. 30213], Kottelat 2013:319 [ref. 32989], Fricke et al. 2018:141 [ref. 35805], Suresh et al. 2018:178 [ref. 36495], Eagderi et al. 2019:35 [ref. 37020], Habib & Islam 2020:Supplementary table p. 14 [ref. 38321], Anderson & Heemstra 2022:19 [ref. 39744], Moazzam & Osmany 2022:534 [ref. 39926]). Current status: Valid as Ambassis ambassis (Lacepède 1802). Ambassidae. Distribution: Western Indian Ocean: Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa (Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya), Persian Gulf, Madagascar and western Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius) east to western India. Habitat: freshwater, brackish, marine.