Original description as Melanochromis dialeptos:
ZooBank:141D9B66-90A0-4C85-81C5-ED39F0BBD6A4.
- Bowers, Nancy & J. Stauffer. 1997. "Eight new species of rock-dwelling cichlids of the genus Melanochromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi, Africa". Ichthyological Explorations of Freshwaters. v. 8 (1); pp. 49-70 (crc00126)
Conservation: Melanochromis dialeptos is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (VU) vulnerable (2006). At most places this species is very common and nowhere threatened. It is too small to be considered food although any individual stuck in a gill net will, of course, end up in the cooking pot.