Original description as Apistogramma cruzi:
ZooBank:6C9A521E-434C-4C72-AA7F-76FE2637030B.
- Kullander, Sven. 1986. "Cichlid Fishes of the Amazon River Drainage of Peru". Swedish Museum of Natural History. Cichlids Amazon. 1-431 (crc00282)
Conservation: Apistogramma cruzi is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2016).