Original description as Haplochromis decticostoma:
ZooBank:1704332A-A09B-47D2-AAFA-37BCBADD8C5A.
- Greenwood, Peter Humphry & J. M. Gee. 1969. "A revision of the Lake Victoria Haplochromis species (Pisces, Cichlidae), part VII". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology Series. v. 18; n. 1; pp. 1-65 (crc01014)
Conservation: Haplochromis decticostoma is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (DD) data deficient (2010).