Original description as Tilapia mortimeri:
ZooBank:F229118F-8A5D-46B0-AF4B-E6B5F9618644.
- Trewavas, Ethelwynn. 1966. "A preliminary review of fishes of the genus Tilapia in the eastward-flowing rivers of Africa, with proposals of two new specific names". Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaines. 74(3-4):394-424 (crc01655)
Conservation: Oreochromis mortimeri is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (CR) critically endangered (2007).