In addition, the species has been demonstrated to engage in cooperative territorial defence where multiple males defend a single territory. "Pelvicachromis pulcher" was originally described as "Pelmatochromis pulcher" by George Boulenger in 1901. Subsequently, a number of junior synonyms ("Pelmatochromis aureocephalus", "Pelmatochromis camerunensis") and misidentifications ("Pelmatochromis kribensis", "Pelmatochromis subocellatus" var. "kribensis" and "Pelmatochromis pulcher" var. "kribensis") were brought into use. Some of these synonyms are still in use by aquarium hobbyists which complicates identification of this species. Many of the common and trade names used for this species, such as kribensis, krib, rainbow krib are derived from the erroneous binomial, "Pelmatochromis kribensis". The genus "Pelmatochromis" was revised by Thys van den Audenaerde in 1968  when the genus "Pelvicachromis" was erected with "P. pulcher" designated as the type species. The etymology of this species is as follows:   "Pelvicachromis pulcher" is a popular cichlid for the aquarium. An albino form of the species has been developed for the aquarium trade. Unlike normal albinism, the trait is not recessively inherited in "P. pulcher". The trait is incompletely dominant. Like many albino animals red and yellow pigments are retained, however, albino "P. pulcher" also show patches of melanin in the dorsal and caudal fin around the ocelli. Langhammer (1982) reports that matings from these albino forms with red and yellow pigments produce 25% wild coloured offspring and 75% albino fry. The albino fry were themselves divided into completely amelanistic forms, and forms which retained colouration of their parents.