A short review of the Surinam Loricariinae; with additional information on Surinam Harttiinae, including the description of a new species (Loricariidae, Siluriformes)

INTRODUCTION The present paper forms the continuation of a series pretending to cover at least most of the Surinam representatives of loricariid armoured catfishes (for earlier papers, see Boeseman, 1968, 1969, 1971, and 1974), but for various reasons it is less extensive in scope than its forerunners. The main reasons are that, (1) it seems unnecessary to repeat the general information provided in the earlier papers, especially since the employed methods, the provided measurements (see fig. 1), and the localities (fig. 2) or habitats are the same, or at least similar (exceptions: measurements and counts up to "caudal base" in fact are up to the end of the last, small scute of the lateral series, while in some of tables, to the total (or axial) length, the length including the caudal filament (as far as available) is added between square brackets); (2) most of the species here recorded are quite distinctive and have been well described in previous publications; and (3) most reflections on the phylogeny and the relationships of the present groups (Hartiinae, Loricariinae) have been provided previously and, moreover, still remain highly speculative, as repeatedly indicated in my previous papers. The group is badly in need of a different approach, with special consideration of the comparative anatomy and osteology of the various species and higher units. It further may be emphasized that, especially with regard to the Loricariinae and besides the doubtful validity of several nominal species, there still is fundamental discordance among recent authors concerning the actual status of various higher taxa frequently lumped in the genus Loricaria Linnaeus (sensu lato). Since the last extensive revision by Regan (1904), no attempt has been made to cover the subfamily (Loricariinae sensu Boeseman, 1971)