Bichir and a big step backwards

A recent paper research by Tino Moritz and Ralf Britz - Revision of the extant Polypteridae.

In the paper it was concluded by this 2 dude that the P. Lapradei and P.Bichir Bichir is no longer a valid subspecies or a species of its own. They're merged all into just P. Bichir.

"Based on analysis of our data we synonymise P. lapradei and P. bichir katangae with P. bichir and only recognize a single species, however, with geographical variation in meristic counts. The cause of the sometimes striking differences in coloration remains unclear."

This is a big blow for the fish hobbyist especially for those trophies collectors. And I guess it will be chaotic for new comers as anybody can sell PBL with 7 marking as PBBs. Apart from this it is actually a sad news, what have they done? Science is always about moving forward, but this 2 buggers just took everything backwards and lets breakdown the publish paper and see how they had derived to this mad conclusion.

"Material examined. 148 specimens." 
heres the list :

1. MNHN 0000-5761, lectotype (Fig. 14), 585 mm SL; Egypt: Nile River, E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1799. – 2. MNHN 0000-5806, 1, paralectotype, 549 mm SL; dry mounted specimen, Egypt: Nile River, E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1799. senegal: 3. NMW 63244, 1, 464 mm SL; syntype of P. lapradei, Senegal: Taoué close to Richar-Toll [= Touey-Marigot], 16°31' N 15°41' W; F. Steindachner, Nov 1868 [but jar labelled with March 1869, likely referring to date of registration] (Fig. 15). – 4. NMW 63242, 1, 182 mm SL; syntype of P. lapradei, Senegal: Podor, ca. 16°39' N 14°57' W; F. Steindachner, Nov 1868 [but jar labelled with March 1869, likely referring to date of registration]. – 5. NMW 63243:1-2, 2, 166-190 mm SL; syntypes of P. lapradei, Senegal: Dagana, ca. 16°31' N 14°57' W; F. Steindachner, Nov 1868 [but jar labelled with March 1869, likely referring to date of registration]. – 6. BMNH 1900.6.28.1, 1, 536 mm SL; Senegal: St. Louis, M. Delhez. – 7. BMNH 1900.6.28.2-3, 2, 625-675 mm SL; Senegal: Kaedi, M. Delhez. – 8. BMNH 1900.6.28.4-7, 4, 284-364 mm SL; Senegal: Kaedi, M. Delhez. – 9. BMNH 1900.6.28.9, 1, 334 mm SL; Senegal: Kaedi, M. Delhez. – 10. MRAC 140104, 1, 308 mm SL; Senegal: Kaedi, M. Delhez, around 1900. – 11. MRAC 73-005-P-0024, 1, 226 mm SL; Senegal: Djeuss [St. Louis] River at Bouben, D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 8 Mar 1966. – 12. MRAC 73-005-P-0027-0028, 2, 377-399 mm SL; Senegal: Lampsar River [in Senegal River Delta] at Ross Bethio, D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 10 Mar 1966. – 13. MRAC 73-005-P-0029, 1, 494 mm SL; Senegal: Casamance River at Kolda, D. F. E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 3 Apr 1966. – 14. NMW 63053, 1, 750 mm SL; Senegal, Steindachner. – 15. MNHN 19070250, 1, 338 mm SL; Senegal, Gruvel. gamBia river Basin: 16. BMNH 1901.7.17.1, 1, 387 mm SL; Gambia, J. S. Budgett. – 17. BMNH 1905.11.13.10, 1, 326 mm SL; Gambia, Capt. Vipan. – 18. MNHN 1980-1603, 1, 293 mm SL; Senegal: Gambia River at Wassadou, D. Paugy. geBa river: 19. BMNH 1912.4.1.2-3, 2, 525-630 mm SL; GuineaBissau: Geba River at Bafata, W. Ansorge. vOlta river Basin: 20. MRAC 140927-140929, 2, 198-213 mm SL; Burkina Faso: Kou River [tributary of Mouhoun], 4 Jun 1964, B. Roman. – 21. MRAC 143517-143518, 2, 194-220 mm SL; Burkina Faso: north of Bobo-Dioulasso, B. Roman. niger river anD triButaries: 22. BMNH 1884.6.9.9-10, 2, 510-517 mm SL; Nigeria: Niger River, Esq. W. Forbes. – 23. BMNH 1884.6.9.14-18, 5, 257-330 mm SL; Nigeria: Niger River, Esq. W. Forbes. – 24. BMNH 1907.5.3.1, 259 mm SL; Nigeria: Benue River north of Ibi, Capt. Vipan. – 25. BMNH 1928.7.3.1, 1, 255 mm SL; Nigeria: Kiyawa River at Katagum, Esp. L. Lloyd. – 26. BMNH 1953.4.28.126, 1, 503 mm SL; Nigeria: Hadeija-River, E. Trewavas. – 27. BMNH 1969.3.25.10, 1, 315 mm SL; Nigeria: Sokoto River, M. H. Holden, Jun 1957. – 28. BMNH 1902.11.10.2830, 2, 80-87 mm SL; Nigeria: Assay, W. Ansorge. – 29. BMNH 1902.11.10.27, 1, 161 mm SL; Nigeria: Abo, W. Ansorge. – 30. BMNH 1913.12.5.1, 1, 89 mm SL; Nigeria: Anambra River, W. Crocombe. – 31. MNHN 1925-0172, 1, 242 mm SL; Guinea: Kouroussa, Thomas. – 32. MNHN 1961-0012, 4, 205-295 mm SL; Mali: Diafarabé, J. Daget, 22 May 1951. – 33. MNHN 1961-0013, 2, 160-175 mm SL; Mali: Diafarabé, J. Daget, 8 Apr 1950. – 34. MNHN 19610014, 1, 116.6 mm SL; Mali: Diafarabé, J. Daget, 27 Oct 1949. – 35. MNHN 1961-1130, 1, 224 mm SL; Guinea: Niger River at Faranah, Raimbault, 28 Aug 1958. – 36. MNHN 1992-0769, 4, 210-233 mm SL; Guinea: Banie [= Niger] River at Sanassiya, D. Paugy and R. Bigorne, 2 Mar 1989. – 37. MRAC 72790-72793, 4, 179-253 mm SL; Mali: Diafarabé, J. Daget, Nov 1946. – 38. MRAC 73-012-P-00070008, 2, 344-448 mm SL; Mali, Niger River at Mopti, H. Matthes, 17 Sep 1969. – 39. MRAC 92-014-P-0001, 1, 253 mm SL; Nigeria: Orashi River at Odieke, C. B. Powell, 15 Nov 1991. – 40. MRAC 92-014-P-0002, 1, 264 mm SL; Nigeria: Isemu Lake, C. B. Powell, 1-9 Nov 1991. lake ChaD anD triButaries: 41. BMNH 1928.7.4.1, 1, 361 mm SL; Chad: Chari River below junction of Lodgone River, C. Markham. – 42. BMNH 1930.8.7.1-2, 2, 517-554 mm SL; Chad: Chari River at Logone, J. Glover. – 43. MNHN 19040066, 1, 470 mm SL; Chad: Chari River, Chevalier and Decorse. – 44. MNHN 1928-0069, 1, 351 mm SL; Cameroon: El Beid River at Afade, J. Monod. – 45. MNHN 1959-0390, 1, 187 mm SL; Cameroon: El Beid; J. Blache and A. Stauch, 5 Oct 1954. – 46. MRAC 66466, 1, 405 mm SL; Cameroon: Benoue River at Lere, J. Monod. – 47. MRAC 153839-153840, 2, 416-486 mm SL; Chad: Mandoul River at Bahr-Sara, A. Sutter, Mar 1965. – 48. MRAC 73015-P-0034, 1, 336 mm SL; Cameroon: Logone River at Guémé; W. Verheyen et al., 26 Nov 1970. – 49. MRAC 73015-P-0035, 1, 608 mm SL; Cameroon: Logone River at Guémé; W. Verheyen et al., 26 Nov 1970. – 50. MRAC 73015-P-0036-0038, 2, 448-503 mm SL; Cameroon: Logone River at Guémé, W. Verheyen et al., 26 Nov 1970. – 51. MRAC 73-015-P-0044-0046, 3, 211-377 mm SL; Cameroon: Benoué River at Garoua, W. Verheyen et al., 7 Dec 1970. – 52. MRAC 73-015-P-0047, 1, 269 mm SL; Cameroon: Benoué River at Garoua, W. Verheyen et al., 8 Dec 1970. nile Basin: 53. BMNH 1850.7.29.1, 1, 517 mm SL; Egypt: Nile, E. Rüppell. – 54. BMNH 1899.4.28.1, 1, 550 mm SL; Egypt: lower Nile River, Harrington and Harrington. – 55. BMNH 1899.4.28.2, 1, 466 mm SL; Egypt: lower Nile River, Harrington and Harrington. – 56. BMNH 1900.9.22.37, 1, 512 mm SL; Sudan: Bahr-el-Jebel, Capt. S. Fowler. – 57. BMNH 1906.3.3.1-3, 2, 261-299 mm SL; Egypt: west Damietta, J. Mitchell. – 58. BMNH 1907.12.2.117, 1, 261 mm SL; Egypt: Nile River near Cairo; W. L. S. Loat, 15 Mar 1899. – 59. BMNH 1907.12.2.118, 1, 667 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Kawa, W. L. S. Loat. – 60. BMNH 1907.12.2.119121, 3, 255-273 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Goz Abou Gumah, W. L. S. Loat, 1 May 1901. – 61. BMNH 1907.12.2.123 124, 2, 203-214 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Ghab-elAish, W. L. S. Loat. – 62. BMNH 1907.12.2.125-134, 11, 252-554 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Fashoda, W. L. S. Loat. – 63. BMNH 1907.12.2.135, 1, 655 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile near Kerro; W. L. S. Loat. – 64. BMNH 1907.12.2.136, 1, 615 mm SL; Sudan: Lako No; W. L. S. Loat. – 65. MNHN 0000-2609, 2, 482-520 mm SL; Nile; Hittorf and Ehrenberg; 1844. – 66. MNHN 0000-5762, 1, 583 mm SL; Egypte: Nile; Clotbey; 1856. – 67. MNHN 0000-5763, 1, 451 mm SL; Nile; Lenormand. – 68. MRAC 140103, 1, 244 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Goz Abou Gumah, W. L. S. Loat; 1907. – 69. NMW 30297, 2, 426-429 mm SL; Sudan: Bahr-el-Gazal; Marno, 1882. – 70. NMW 30299, 1, 386 mm SL; Nile, Steindachner. – 71. NMW 3302, 1, 443 mm SL; Nile, Kotschy, 1842. – 72. NMW 63209, 3, 245-267 mm SL; Sudan: Khartoum, Drasche, 1876. – 73. NMW 63210, 1, 465 mm SL; Nile, Steindachner, Nov 1910. – 74. NMW 63211, 2, 321-357 mm SL; Nile; Steindachner, Oct 1910. – 75. NMW 63212, 1, 364 mm SL; Sudan: Bahr-el-Seraf, Marno, 1881. – 76. NMW 63213, 1, 518 mm SL; Sudan: Bahr-el-Ghazal, Steindachner, 1882. – 77. NMW 63214, 1, 495 mm SL; Sudan: “Zuflüsse des oberen Nil” [affluents of the Upper Nile], Marno, 1881. – 78. NMW 63215, 1, 497 mm SL; Sudan: White Nile at Khor Attac, Werner, 1907. – 79. NMW 63216, 1, 457 mm SL; Nile, Steindachner, Oct 1910. – 80. NMW 63217, 1, 212 mm SL; Nile, Steindachner, 2 Nov 1910. – 81. NMW 63219, 1, 434 mm SL; Sudan, Steindachner, Aug 1910. – 82. NMW 77728, 1, 528 mm SL; Sudan: Melut, 10°27' N 32°13' E; W. Sixl, 1981. – 83. NMW 79061, 2, 485-572 mm SL; Sudan: Melut, 10°27' N 32°13' E; W. Sixl, 1983. – NMW 9584, 1, 340 mm SL; side branch of Nile, Steindachner and Marno, 1981. – 84. ZSM 34546, 1, 330 mm SL; Sudan: Omdourman [fishmarket], N. Pöllath, 14 Feb 2006. katanga regiOn: 85. MRAC 20671, 1, 389 mm SL; holotype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Nyonga: Lake Upemba, G.-F. de Witte, 8-12 May 1925. – 86. MRAC 49319, 1, 109.5 mm SL; paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba Rivert at Bukuma, P. Brien, Jun 1937. – 87. MRAC 66561, 1, 134.5 mm SL; paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba Rivert at Bukuma, P. Brien, 23-26 Jun 1937. – 88. MRAC 66562, 1, 149.2 mm SL; paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba Rivert at Bukuma, P. Brien, 23-26 Jun 1937. – 89. MRAC 66563, 1, 123.6 mm SL; paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba Rivert at Bukuma, P. Brien, 23-26 Jun 1937 (Fig. 16). 90. IRSNB 68, 1, 415 mm SL; paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba River at Maka, H. J. Bredo, 1 Feb 1939. – 91. MRAC 178671, 1, 52.7 mm HL [only head preserved], paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lake Kazibaziba, W. de Smet, 17 Nov 1956. – 92. MRAC 178672, 1, 45.6 mm HL [only head preserved], paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Make, 50 km from Bukuma, W. de Smet, 27 Dec 1955. – 93. MRAC 178673, 1, 51.4 mm HL [only head preserved], paratype of P. bichir katangae, Democratic Republic of Congo: Make, 50 km from Bukuma, W. de Smet, 27 Dec 1955. – 94. MRAC 69702, 1, 445 mm SL; Democratic Republic of Congo: Lualaba River at Maka, M. Poll, 25 Jun 1947. – 95. MRAC 79-01-P-0003, 1, 396 mm SL; Democratic Republic of Congo: Lake Upemba: Mabwe, F. de Witte, 7-9 Sep 1947. WithOut lOCality Data: NMW 50276, 1, 585 mm SL. Additional material. (53pcs) nile Basin: DMM IE/10412, 2, Sudan: Khartoum [central fish market]; T. Moritz et al., Apr 2008.

The 148 specimens includes 95pcs of recorded specimens since year 1799 The remaining specimens actually done by this 2 is

"Additional material. (53pcs) nile Basin: DMM IE/10412, 2, Sudan: Khartoum [central fish market]; T. Moritz et al., Apr 2008."

I presume central fish market is a wet market selling dead food fish. Now let us go for a joy ride of the life of the Polypterus Lapradei:

"In 1869, Steindachner published the description of a new bichir from the Senegal, Polypterus lapradei. He noted that the essential difference between P. lapradei and P. bichir is the shape of the head, whereas counts of dorsal-fin spines and scales show an overlapping gradient: 14-15 vs. 15-17 dorsal-fin spines, 60-62 vs. 64 scales in lateral row, 13-14 vs. 12-13 pre-dorsal scales (values given in Steindachner, 1869). "
The discovery of P.Lapradei by Steindachner in 1869. (Senegal)

"Polypterus lapradei had been regarded as a valid species until Poll (1941a-b, 1942) referred to it as a subspecies of P. bichir" 
But poll 1941 published a Polypterus Bichir Katangae (Congo) an enigma sp Congicus unconfirm until today. Possible that I got it wrong or they got it wrong, poll seems not connected to P.Lapradei.

"Since the beginning of the 1970s this view has become widely accepted (Gosse, 1984). In his keys for West African polypterid species, Gosse (1990, 2003) employed the following criteria to distinguish both subspecies: number of scales in a longitudinal series and number of dorsal-fin spines, but noted that both meristic characters show overlap. He also stated and illustrated disjunct distribution areas for the two subspecies: the Benoué River and river basins west of it for P. bichir lapradei, and the Chad basin and river basins east of it for P. bichir bichir (Gosse, 1990, 2003)."
Gosse further reconfirm that P.B.lapradei being a subspecies. (Nigerian)

" Schäfer (2004) in his popular book on bichirs treated P. lapradei again as a valid species, and distinguished it from P. bichir by details of the color pattern: P. lapradei was considered to possess usually clearly marked longitudinal stripes in the anterior region of body"
P.Lapradei was again promoted back to a valid species by Schäfer in 2004. (Nigerian)

"Based on analysis of our data we synonymise P. lapradei and P. bichir katangae with P. bichir and only recognize a single species, however, with geographical variation in meristic counts. The cause of the sometimes striking differences in coloration remains unclear. "
Everyone was so eager to read the new paper as we hope that for sp koliba and sp kolonton to be a subspecies or a species of its own, but instead they concluded that everything is now group into Polypterus Bichir. No more PBB no more PBL no more everything.

They were so confused with all the variant of PBB and all the variant of PBL and they even mixed in sp koliba. Furthermore any experience bichir keeper knows that it is near impossible to ID a dead bichir from a wet market probably all wash out color and pattern. I wonder how this 2 dude manage to ID them without DNA sampling. They were totally lost and made a conclusion to group them all up that they have forgotten the Nigerian Lapradei!!!

They have only compared  meristic data and Morphometric characters in a Box-and-whisker plots statistic. No DNA samples were taken from any of the bichirs. And the blunder so great on the P.B. katangae that are in the Congicus group is now mixed into Polypterus Bichir.

Can a research paper get anymore sloppier than this? It was an insult to all the previous ichthyologist. They were supposed to catch on site the fish from nigerian or any other place proposed for the study. Not just passed a conclusion based on some 200 years old record.

Without catching the fish yourself you are depending on fisherman to tell you the origin of the fish, is this science? 99.9% fisherman will not reveal the actual catch location! and they didnt know this? What good is there in buying dead fish from Sudan 1000 miles away from nigeria where the population of PBL is? Of coz you'll see differences from those previous catalog specimen...geezzzz!

In laymans term:

Dr.A found a nigerian lap and said hey look I found a lap
Dr.B found koliba in guinea and say so this is how lap look like and gave a description
Dr.C found kolonton and gave another new description
This 2 dude publish a paper and say too many discrepancy, lets scrap everything and put them all in PB.

There you go he totally forgot the most important Nigeria lap.

Pray hard that this 2 do not do any research on marulius and Marulioides!

Polypterus Bichir Bichir (Chad)

Polypterus Bichir Lapradei (Nigeria)