Original description as Tilapia simotes:
ZooBank:71A7B3FA-2069-45C4-9B23-AF07195BED5B.
- Boulenger, George Albert. 1911. "On a third collection of fishes made by Dr. E. Bayon in Uganda, 1909-1910. (Collezioni zoologiche fatte nell'Uganda dal Dott. E. Bayon. XII.)". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia naturale di Genova. Vol. 45 Ser. 3 v. 5; pp. 64-78 (crc00317)
Conservation: Neochromis simotes is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (DD) data deficient (2010).