bichir, Polypterus Lacepède [B. G. E.] 1803:340 [Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 5; ref. 4930] Nile River, Egypt. Lectotype: MNHN 0000-5761. Paralectotypes: MNHN 0000-5806 (1). Type catalog: Bertin 1940:246-247 [ref. 293] as holotype (MNHN 5761) and paratypes, Moritz & Britz 2019:[19] [ref. 36886]. Appeared first in detail in Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1802:97, Pl. 5 (fig. 1) [ref. 4183] and 1802:57-68, Pl. 5 (figs. 1-3) [ref. 26737], but generic name not Latinized (Polyptère bichir). Lectotype selected by Eschmeyer 1998:220 [ref. 23416]. •Valid as Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803, subspecies birchir -- (Seegers et al. 2003:28 [ref. 28087]). •Valid as Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803 -- (Gosse 1984:19 [ref. 6169], Gosse in Lévêque et al. 1990:81 [ref. 21589], Poll & Gosse 1995:28 [ref. 24781], Britz 2004:185 [ref. 27800], Neumann et al. 2016:303 [ref. 35036], Moritz & Britz 2019:[19] [ref. 36886]). Current status: Valid as Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803. Polypteridae. Distribution: Africa: widespread in North Africa, Nile River system, Chad, Niger, Volta and Senegal; Gambia River, Casamanche River and Geba River; Congo Basin. Habitat: freshwater.