It contains a single species, Brithopus priscus, known from fragmentary remains found in the Copper Sandstones near Isheevo, Russia.

[2] B. priscus was first named in 1838 and was traditionally classified in the Anteosauria, a group of carnivorous dinocephalians.

Brithopus served as the basis for the family Brithopodidae, which once included many anteosaurian species.

Because it is based on fragmentary material, Brithopus is regarded as a nomen dubium by some researchers.

Brithopus was later considered a possible estemmenosuchid,[3] a type of herbivorous tapinocephalian therapsid.