Original description as Haplochromis phenochilus:
ZooBank:CE91F0BB-91F4-40F4-BFBF-C7CF9D61FE15.
- Trewavas, Ethelwynn. 1935. "A Synopsis of the Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyasa". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Series 10:65-118 (crc00118)
Conservation: Placidochromis phenochilus is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (EN) endangered (2018).