Original description:
- Regan, Charles Tate. 1922. "The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyassa". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1921(pt 4)36:675-727 (crc00066)
Type species: Hemichromis afer Günther, 1894 (monotypy).
Synonyms:
- Microchromis Johnson, 1975. Determiner: Ribbink, Anthony J, 1983
Described species included (5):
valid: 5- Hemichromis afer Günther, 1894 (valid)
- Microchromis zebroides Johnson, 1975 (valid)
- Cynotilapia axelrodi Burgess, 1976 (valid)
- Microchromis aurifrons Tawil, 2011 (valid)
- Cynotilapia chilundu Li, Konings & Stauffer, 2016 (valid)
Potentially undescribed species (14):
- sp. 'elongatus mdoka' (undescribed)
- sp. 'hara' (undescribed)
- sp. 'maleri' (undescribed)
- sp. 'chinyankwazi' (undescribed)
- sp. 'blue black' (undescribed)
- sp. 'elongatus chitimba' (undescribed)
- sp. 'elongatus mbenji blue' (undescribed)
- sp. 'flavus deep' (undescribed)
- sp. 'lion chinyankwazi' (undescribed)
- sp. 'lion ntekete' (undescribed)
- sp. 'lion' (undescribed)
- sp. 'chilumba deep' (undescribed)
- sp. 'ndumbi' (undescribed)
- sp. 'elongatus ndumbi' (undescribed)