Descripción original como Haplochromis nitidus:
ZooBank:DA5148B2-57A7-484E-8807-21EB86E8AB97.
- Trewavas, Ethelwynn. 1935. "A Synopsis of the Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyasa". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Series 10:65-118 (crc00118)
Conservación: Ctenopharynx nitidus es evaluada por la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza en la lista roja de especies amenazadas como (LC) Poca preocupación (2006). The IUCN list this species as Least Concern but since it sometimes occurs in large schools in shallow water, large numbers can be caught by fishermen's nets in a short time.