Original description as Metriaclima tarakiki:
ZooBank:F538BEA0-FBA4-4715-A477-B2C853FBF1A6.
- Stauffer, Jay Richard Jr. & K. Black, A.F. Konings. 2013. "Descriptions of five new species of Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa". Zootaxa. 3647(1):101-136. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3647.1.6 (crc05041) (abstract)
Conservation: Metriaclima tarakiki is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2018). There is a chance that M. tarakiki could become threatened with overfishing because they often feed on plankton in the water column in the vicinity of large boulders where nets can be employed. Currently (2013) there appears to be no decline in its population although the OB morphs are rather popular in the ornamental fish trade.