Harttiella Boeseman, 1971

Raphael Covain & Sonia Fisch-Muller, 2007, The genera of the Neotropical armored catfish subfamily Loricariinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a practical key and synopsis., Zootaxa 1462, pp. 1-40 : 30

Harttiella Boeseman, 1971 .

Type species: Harttia crassicauda Boeseman, 1953 .

Holotype: RMNH 19418 , Surinam, in a creek of the Nassau Mountains, Marowijne River drainage .

Gender: feminine.

This monotypic genus is only known from its type locality. The single species was collected in a little forest creek over sandy and rocky bottoms (Boeseman 1971). Sexual dimorphism is similar to that of Harttia , in which mature males develop hypertrophied odontodes on the pectoral spines, along the margin of the snout, and on the entire body except for the abdominal region. The phylogenetic position of Harttiella remains uncertain. Boeseman (1971), and Isbrücker (1981a) gave it a rather basal position within Loricariinae but its geographic isolation in the Marowijne drainage could also correspond to a more derived state within Harttiini . The morphology of Harttiella suggests it is a dwarf form closely related to Harttia . Rapp Py-Daniel (1997) tentatively placed Harttiella within Harttiina because of its close resemblance with Harttia . Unfortunately, this question may remain unresolved as Mol & Ouboter (2004) mentioned the possible disappearance of this species because of mining activities in the Nassau Mountains. This species is also interesting because of its morphological convergence with Ixinandria , a genus within Loricariini found in the southwestern part of the continent. The morphological likeness between Ixinandria and Harttiella may have misled Boeseman (1971) when he moved Canthopomus montebelloi Fowler, 1940 into Harttiella .