Original description as Ophthalmochromis ventralis heterodontus:
ZooBank:11A4F23A-52B4-43C8-8F1B-63CC2A1D8531.
- Poll, Max & H. Matthes. 1962. "Trois poissons remarquables du lac Tanganika". Annales du Musée royal de l'Afrique Centrale (Série Zoology). (Serie-8) Zoologique (111); pp. 1-26 (crc00209)
Conservation: Ophthalmotilapia heterodonta is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2006).