Species that contain: Polypterus and bichir [ 4 ] records

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.

katangae, Polypterus bichir Poll [M.] 1941:173, Figs. 10-12 [Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines v. 35 (no. 2); ref. 19488] Nyonga, Lake Upemba, Democratic Republic of Congo. Holotype: MRAC 20671. Paratypes: IRSNB 68 (1); MRAC 49319 (1), 66561-63 (1, 1, 1). Type catalog: Walschaerts 1987:7 [ref. 20755], Derijst 1991:64 [ref. 21528]. See also Poll 1941:158, table [ref. 19487]. •Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803, but a valid subspecies as described, and with Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1802 as author of bichir -- (Gosse 1984:20 [ref. 6169]). •Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803 -- (Moritz & Britz 2019:[19] [ref. 36886]). Current status: Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803. Polypteridae. Habitat: freshwater.

lapradei, Polypterus Steindachner [F.] 1869:112 [Anzeiger der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe v. 6 (no. 15) (for 10 June 1869); ref. 20468] Senegal, western Africa. Syntypes: (3) NMW 63053 (1). Originally described as above, sometimes spelled lapradii in literature. Species later illustrated and described in more detail in Steindachner 1870:103 [p. 1 of separate], Pls. 1-2, [ref. 14100]. •Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803 [but with authorship as Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1802], but a valid subspecies -- (Gosse 1984:20 [ref. 6169], Lévêque et al. 1989:113 [ref. 26480], Gosse in Lévêque et al. 1990:82 [ref. 21589]). •Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803 -- (Moritz & Britz 2019:[19] [ref. 36886]). Current status: Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803. Polypteridae. Habitat: freshwater.

niloticus, Polypterus Shaw [G.] 1804:122, Pl. 112 [General zoology or systematic natural history; ref. 4015] Nile River. No types known. Based on literature sources; unneeded new name for Polypterus bichir Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1802 [= Lacepède 1803]. •Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803 -- (Moritz & Britz 2019:[19] [ref. 36886]). Current status: Synonym of Polypterus bichir Lacepède 1803. Polypteridae. Habitat: freshwater.