Natatolana neglecta ( Hansen, 1890 )

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 207-208

Natatolana neglecta ( Hansen, 1890)

Synonymy in Keable & Bruce, 1997: 695, figs. 16–18.Additional listings and records of this species are those of Zavodnik & Kovacic (2000, p. 337).

Type material. Syntypes: 3, 2♀♀, ZMUC CRU148 , Gulf of Naples ; ♀, ZMUC CRU149 , Nice. All examined. Type locality: Gulf of Naples [as Neapels Golf—c. 40°42'N 14°16'E]; probably Nice ( Hansen, 1905) [presumably France, originally as Nizza— c. 43°42'N 7°15.4'E]. All examined .

Material examined. Listed by Keable & Bruce (1997).

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins straight, parallel. Antenna: c. 0.35× as long as body, reaching to three-quarters of the way along pereonite 3. Coxal plates: furrows strongly developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 4: apex forming a broad acute point. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.84× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent (although in some specimens there is a slight depression this is not equivalent to the distinct and abrupt depression found in species such as N. pellucida ); anterolateral margins almost straight and angling posteriorly toward the midline; posterolateral margins straight, markedly angled to anterolateral margins and meeting at an obtuse angle; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point; with 10–14 RS. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis of medium breadth, width 0.5× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae completely absent along entire length. Penes: absent. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending beyond tip of endopod, 1.09× length of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod, 0.83× the length of the endopod.

Variation. The type specimens have nine to ten robust setae on the pleotelson but other the specimens examined have eight.

Size. Adults to 16 mm.

Remarks. Keable & Bruce (1997) redescribe Natatolana neglecta . Hansen (1905) regarded the records of N. neglecta by Dollfus (1903), from the mid north Atlantic Ocean and depths of c. 1000–2000 m, as dubious. Keable & Bruce (1997) established the validity of Natatolana imicola (Dollfus) as a distinct species based on the same material. The specimens Dollfus (1903) reported from shallower depths are either N. neglecta (IOM 36 0250) or are damaged and mixed with other taxa (IOM 36 0254, Campagnes de l’Hirondelle et de la Princesse Alice Station 323) and cannot be accurately identified.

The straight posterolateral margins of the pleotelson, markedly angled to the straight anterolateral margins, is a distinctive feature of Natatolana neglecta . This coupled with the well-developed eyes, an incomplete interocular furrow, well-developed coxal furrows on all coxae, absence of penes, appendix masculina morphology, setation and shape of the uropods and setation of the pleotelson, distinguishes this species from all other species of Natatolana .

Distribution. Natatolana neglecta is known from the west coast of France, the vicinity of Nice and Naples in the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian Seas, the Atlantic coast of northwestern Africa at about 28°N, and also the Adriatic Sea. At depths of 19– 188 m.

The tentative record of Müller (1989), if confirmed, would extend the range of N. neglecta to the Levantine Basin of the Mediterranean Sea, (32°0.53'N 34°33.98'E). It has not been possible to locate the specimens and confirm the records of Larwood (1940) from off Egypt, at depths of 42– 73 m.