Original description as Tilapia rheophila:
ZooBank:3283EC34-6905-461E-BA5D-9B69193E584E.
- Daget , Jacques. 1962. "Les poissons du Fouta Dialon et de la basse Guinée". Mémoires de l'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire. pp. 1-210 (crc00697)
Conservation: Coptodon rheophila is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (DD) data deficient (2010).