Original description as Haplochromis similis:
ZooBank:5181FC6E-58C4-430D-8233-33D42ACB492B.
- Regan, Charles Tate. 1922. "The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyassa". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1921(pt 4)36:675-727 (crc00066)
Conservation: Protomelas similis is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2018). Although habitats have been destroyed by beach seines, Protomelas similis still finds a place to live among the plants growing in intermediate areas.