Original description as Chromis discolor:
ZooBank:69554A77-2C6A-45D6-8540-B33DDB290C77.
- Günther, Albert C. L. G. 1903. "Last account of fishes collected by Mr. R. B. N. Walker, C. M. Z. S., on the Gold Coast". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1902 (2) pp. 330-339 (crc00693)
Conservation: Coptodon discolor is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (VU) vulnerable (2010).