Original description:
- Boulenger, George Albert. 1896. "Descriptions of new fishes from the Upper Shiré River, British Central Africa, collected by Dr. Percy Rendall, and presented to the British Museum by Sir Harry H. Johnston, K. C. B.". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 915-920 (crc00714)
Type species: Docimodus johnstoni Boulenger, 1896 (monotypy).