Considered a synonym of Gila nigrescens (Girard, 1856)
- Gilbert, Carter R.. 1998. "Type catalog of Recent and fossil North American Freshwater fishes: families Cyprinidae, Catostomidae, Ictaluridae, Centrarchidae and Elassomatidae". Florida Museum of Natural History, Special Publication No. 1. 1-284 (ffm00083)
Original description as Gila pulchella:
- Baird, Spencer F. & C.F. Girard. 1854. "Descriptions of new species of fishes collected in Texas, New Mexico and Sonora, by Mr. John H. Clark, on the U. S. and Mexican Boundary Survey, and in Texas by Capt. Stewart Van Vliet, U. S. A". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. (7):24-29 (ffm00256)