It was described in February of 2022 by Pablo Lehmann A., Nathan K. Lujan, and Roberto E. Reis on the basis of its distinctive morphology.

It is believed to be closely related to its congeners Parotocinclus collinsae and P. halbothi.

[1] The fish is named in honor of British ichthyologist Michael Hardman (b.

1978), a former technician at the Center for Biodiversity, Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign, Illinois, USA, who collected specimens in 1998 and first recognized this species was undescribed.

[2] In July 2022, it was determined that Parotocinclus hardmani and multiple other species from the genera Parotocinclus, Curculionichthys, and Hisonotus should be classified in a different genus altogether, designated as Rhinotocinclus, although many sources do not yet follow this classification.