Original description as Pseudotropheus aurora:
ZooBank:6888CAC1-E4BB-430A-AEF2-9A5294982C2D.
- Burgess, Warren. 1976. "Studies on the family Cichlidae: 5. Pseudotropheus aurora, a new species of cichlid fish from lake Malawi". Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. 24 (9); pp. 52-56 (crc00182)
Conservation: Metriaclima aurora is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2018). Although Metriaclima aurora is classified as vulnerable, it is not as vulnerable as many other mbuna species from Lake Malawi. M. aurora is rather common and has a wide distribution. The translocated populations in the southern part of the lake are very robust and unlikely to be affected by either over-fishing or industrial/agricultural pollution.