Considerado un sinónimo menor de Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, 1820
- 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)
Descripción original como Hyborhynchus nigellus:
- Cope, Edward D & H.C. Yarrow. 1875. "Report upon the collections of fishes made in portions of Nevada, Utah, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, during the years 1871, 1872, 1873, and 1874". Engineer Department, United States Army, Report upon the Geographical and Geological Explorations and Surveys west of the one hundredth Meridian. 5(6):635-703 (ffm00084)