Natatolana thurar Bruce, 1986

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 229-230

Natatolana thurar Bruce, 1986

Natatolana thurar Bruce, 1986: 97 , figs. 64, 65.–Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994: 62.– Brusca et al., 1995: 82.– Bruce et al., 2002: 153.

Type material. Holotype: ♀, 15.8 mm, AM P32171 . Paratypes: AM P30350. All examined. Type locality: 10 km southeast of Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia, 30°35'S 149°06'E, 149 m [originally cited as Eastern Bass Strait, Australia, 38°35'S 149°06'E, corrected by Springthorpe & Lowry (1994)] .

Material examined. New South Wales: 833, 4♀♀, manca, AM P47269, east of Coffs Harbour , 30°14.63'S 153°27.68'E, 199 m, 12–13 Aug. 1993, SEAS NSW-883 .

Diagnosis. Eyes: vestigial. Interocular furrow: well developed, forming a ridge that runs across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins straight, parallel. Antenna: c. 0.35× as long as body, reaching to posterior of pereonite 3. Coxal plates: furrows variously developed, coxae 2, 3 and 7 with complete furrows, furrows absent on coxae 4–6. Pleonite 4: posterodorsal margin strongly concave proximal to meeting posteroventral margin at apex; apex forming a narrow acute point. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.76× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins almost straight and angling posteriorly toward the midline, or convex; posterolateral margins straight, markedly angled to anterolateral margins and meeting at an obtuse angle or convex; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point; with 8–10 RS. Pereopod 2: propodus with 2 RS on palm. Pereopod 3: propodus with 2 RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis narrow, width 0.44× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae on proximal quarter. Penes: absent. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending subequal with tip of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod subequal to endopod, 0.93× the length of the endopod.

Variation. This species was originally described as having eight robust setae on the pleotelson. In the material examined from Coffs Harbour there were specimens with either eight or 10 robust setae on the pleotelson.

Size. 12.6–32 mm.

Remarks. This is the first record of a male specimen of Natatolana thurar . This species is best identified using the characters discussed under remarks for N. aotearoa .

Distribution and ecology. Australia: off Coffs Harbour, New South Wales; off eastern Victoria. At depths of 149– 200 m. Scavenger.