Original description as Haplochromis pitmani:
ZooBank:F87E761A-64B1-4330-BB3A-DB7A8CF36505.
- Fowler, Henry W. 1936. "Zoological results of the George Vanderbilt African Expedition of 1934. Part III; The fresh water fishes". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. pp. 243-335 (crc01453)
Conservation: Haplochromis pitmani is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (DD) data deficient (2010).