Original description:
- Rüppell, Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon. 1852. "Vierte Abtheilung, Fische und deren Skelette". Verzeichniss der in dem Museum der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft aufgestellten Sammlungen, Frankfurt am Main. 1-40 (crc00688)
Type species: Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell, 1852 (monotypy).
Synonyms:
- Melanogenes Bleeker, 1863. Determiner: Trewavas, Ethelwynn, 1983
Described species included (35):
valid: 13 sub-species: 8 synonym: 14- Sparus galilaeus Linnaeus, 1758 (valid)
- Labrus melagaster Bloch , 1792 (synonym)
- Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell, 1852 (valid)
- Tilapia heudelotii Dumeril, 1859 (sub-species)
- Tilapia nigripinnis Guichenot, 1861 (valid)
- Tilapia lateralis Duméril, 1861 (synonym)
- Tilapia macrocentra Duméril, 1861 (synonym)
- Tilapia pleuromelas Duméril, 1861 (synonym)
- Tilapia rangii Duméril, 1861 (synonym)
- Chromis macrocephalus Bleeker, 1862 (synonym)
- Chromis microcephalus Günther, 1862 (synonym)
- Melanogenes macrocephalus Bleeker , 1863 (synonym)
- Melanogenes microcephalus Bleeker, 1863 (synonym)
- Chromis microstomus Lortet, 1883 (synonym)
- Chromis tiberiadis Lortet, 1883 (synonym)
- Tilapia dolloi Boulenger, 1899 (sub-species)
- Tilapia (Gephyrochromis) linnellii Lönnberg, 1903 (valid)
- Tilapia boulengeri Pellegrin, 1903 (sub-species)
- Chromis multifasciatus Günther, 1903 (sub-species)
- Tilapia caudomarginata Boulenger, 1916 (valid)
- Tilapia borkuana Pellegrin, 1919 (sub-species)
- Tilapia caroli Holly, 1930 (valid)
- Tilapia lohbergeri Holly, 1930 (valid)
- Tilapia multifasciata var. macrostoma Pellegrin, 1941 (synonym)
- Tilapia steinbachi Trewavas, 1962 (valid)
- Tilapia occidentalis Daget, 1962 (valid)
- Tilapia mvogoi Thys van den Audenaerde, 1965 (valid)
- Tilapia tournieri Daget, 1965 (valid)
- Tilapia sanagaensis Thys van den Audenaerde, 1968 (sub-species)
- Tilapia aequatorialis Roman, 1970 (synonym)
- Tilapia (Sarotherodon) leonensis Thys van den Audenaerde, 1971 (sub-species)
- Tilapia (Sarotherodon) liberiensis Thys van den Audenaerde, 1971 (sub-species)
- Sarotherodon melanotheron paludinosus Trewavas, 1983 (synonym)
- Sarotherodon knauerae Neumann, Stiassny & Schliewen, 2011 (valid)
- Sarotherodon lamprechti Neumann, Stiassny & Schliewen, 2011 (valid)