Original description as Prietella phreatophila:
- Carranza, Jorge. 1954. "DescripciĆ³n del primer bagre anoftalmo y depigmentado encontrado en aguas mexicanas". Ciencia. 14(7-8):129-136 (ffm00262)
Conservation: Prietella phreatophila is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (EN) endangered (1996).