Original description as Tilapia nilotica upembae:
ZooBank:2A0CB0DD-6A75-420E-8FE6-11375FAAE32C.
- Thys van den Audenaerde, Dirk F.E.. 1964. "Revision systematique des especes congolaises du genre Tilapia (Pisces, Cichlidae)". Annales du Musée royal de l'Afrique Centrale (Série Zoology). 1-155 (crc01406)
Conservation: Oreochromis upembae is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2010).