Original description as Pimephales promelas:
- Rafinesque, Constantine Samuel. 1820. "Ichthyologia Ohiensis [Part 6]". Western Revue and Miscellaneous Magazine. 2(5):299-307 (ffm00149)
Synonyms (1):
- Hyborhynchus confertus Girard, 1856, with type locality at Hurrah Creek, tributary of Rio Pecos, near Santa Rosa, Guadalupe County New Mexico, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Hyborhynchus puniceus Girard, 1856, with type locality at Antelope Creek, tributary of Canadian River, near Fitch, Hutchinson County, Texas. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Pimephales fasciatus Girard, 1856, with type locality at Yellowstone River and Milk River, Montana, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Pimephales maculosus Girard, 1856, with type locality at Sluice of Arkansas River, near Fort Makee [Fort Atkinson], Ford County, Kansas, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Plargyrus melanocephalus Abbott, 1860, with type locality at Lake Whittlesey, Minnesota, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Pimephales milesii Cope, 1865, with type locality at Grosse Isle, Detroit River, Wayne County, Michigan, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Pimephales agassizii Cope, 1867, with type locality at Tributary of Ohio River at Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Coliscus parietalis Cope, 1871, with type locality at Missouri River near St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Hyborhynchus nigellus Cope, 1875, with type locality at Arkansas River at Pueblo, Pueblo County, Colorado, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Cliola smithii Evermann & Cox, 1896, with type locality at Prairie Creek near Scotland, Bon Homme County, South Dakota, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
- Pimephales anuli Kendall, 1903, with type locality at Cross Lake Thoroughfare (stream connecting Salmon and Cross lakes), Aroostook County, Maine, U.S.A. Determiner: Gilbert, 1998
Conservation: Pimephales promelas is not evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species.