Considered a synonym of Gila robusta Baird & Girard, 1853
- 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 gracilis:
- Baird, Spencer F. & C.F. Girard. 1853. "Descriptions of some new fishes from the River Zuni". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 6:368-369 (ffm00128)