Original description as Crenicichla maculata:
- Kullander, Sven & Lucena, Carlos A. Santos de. 2006. "A review of the species of Crenicichla (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Atlantic coastal rivers of southeastern Brazil from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul States, with descriptions of three new species". Neotropical Ichthyology. v. 4; (2 April/June 2006); pp. 127-146 (crc01286)
Conservation: Crenicichla maculata is not evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species.