This fish was previoulst regarded as conspecific with A. latus but has now been recognised as a separate valid species restricted to the northwestern coasts of Australia.

Acanthopagrus morrisoni was first formally described in 2013 by the Japanese ichthyologist Yukio Iwatsuki with its type locality given as Hooley Creek in Western Australia.

[5] Acanthopagrus morrisoni has a specific name which honours Sue M. Morrison of the Fish Section in the Department of Aquatic Zoology at the Western Australian Museum.

[8] Acanthopagrus morrisoni is found in the eastern Indian Ocean from Shark Bay in Western Australia east to Welpa on the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.

In Shark Bay there is a fishery based out of Denham using beach seines and haul nets to catch four main target species groups, of which the Western yellowfin bream is one.