Original description as Heros istlanus:
ZooBank:E08063C1-C66A-4ACC-A0A2-6BBFF61750AC.
- Jordan, David Starr & J. O. Snyder. 1899. "Notes on a collection of fishes from the rivers of Mexico, with description of twenty new species". Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission. v. 19, pp. 115-147 (ffm00041)
Conservation: Amphilophus istlanus is not evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species.