Natatolana longispina Bruce, 1986

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 199-200

Natatolana longispina Bruce, 1986

Natatolana longispina Bruce, 1986: 82 , figs. 54, 55.– Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994: 51.– Brusca et al., 1995: 80.– Bruce et al., 2002: 151.

Cirolana corpulenta .– Hale, 1940: 289 (part) [mis-identification, not Natatolana corpulenta ( Hale, 1925) ].

Natatolana corpulenta .– Bruce, 1986: 79, figs. 51–53 (part) [misidentification, not Natatolana corpulenta ( Hale, 1925) ].

Type material. Holotype: 3, 8.8 mm, NMV J1770 (not examined) . Paratypes: NMV J1771–1783 (not examined); AM P32371–32374 (examined) ; USNM (not examined). Type locality: Western Port , Victoria, Australia, 38°27'S 145°14'E .

Material examined. New South Wales: series from 1.5 km east of Belmont Beach , near Newcastle, 33°02.36'S 151°41'E, shipek [grab], AM Hunter District Water Board Survey (reported by Bruce [1986]); 1, AM P23035, 23 m, 16 Dec. 1975; manca, AM P23042, 20 Sep. 1975; 1, AM P23047, 22 m, 10 Jun. 1975; ♀, AM P47153, between Merimbula Point and Haystack Rock, Merimbula, 36°56.4'S 149°56.9'E, baited trap, sand, J. Lowry & S. Keable, 1–2 Dec. 1988, NSW-406; 3, AM P47154, off Wattamolla , 34°44'S 150°39'E, baited trap, unknown substrate, 40 m, J. Lowry, 13–14 Nov. 1990, NSW-431; 220, AM P47157, off Providential Head, 34°44'S 150°39'E, baited trap, 25–30 m, S. Keable, A. Parker & J. Lowry, 14–15 Jan. 1991, PIO-103 . Victoria: paratype ♀, AM P32372, Crib Point, Western Port, 38°22'S 145°12'E, 8m, Victorian Fisheries and Wildlife Department , 14 Jul. 1964, sample A1/2 no. 53588; 7 paratypes, AM P32373, Crib Point , Western Port , 38°22'S 145°12'E, sand, 11m, Victorian Fisheries and Wildlife Department 10 Mar. 1965, CPBS no. 53611. Bass Strait : 3, ♀, NMV J1107 , 39°02'S 143°14'E, grab, medium carbonate sand, 79 m, G. Poore, 8 Oct. 1980; 15, J1329, fine sand, 95 m, G. Gomon et al., 31 Jan. 1981 . Tasmania: ♀, AM E6757, Elliott Cove, west coast, [presumably 42°59'S 145°33'E], 9 m, FIS Endeavour Expedition 1909–14 (reported by Hale [1940]); series from baited traps, J. Lowry and S. Keable: 3,AM P47139, due north of Lomas Point, Port Esperance , 43°20.8'S 147°3.3'E, probably sandy bottom, 10 m, 19–20April 1991, TAS-201; D’Entrecasteaux Channel: 47, AM P47140, 43° 22.2°S 147°3.2'E, 13 m, 20–21 April 1991, TAS-226; 20, AM P47147, 43°22.2 147°3.4'E, 21 m, 20–21 April 1991, TAS-227; 23, AM P47142, 43°22.2 147°3.6'E, 25 m, 20–21April 1991, TAS-228; Bruny Island : 9, AM P47143, 43°21.5'S 147°22.2'E, sandy bottom, 25 m, 24–25 April 1991, TAS-267; 3, AM P47144, 43°21.5'S 147°22.3'E, sandy bottom, 28 m, 24–25 April 1991, TAS-268; 1, AM P47145, 43°21.3'S 147°22.4'E, sandy bottom, 28 m, 24–25 April 1991, TAS- 269; 12, AM P47146, 43°21.5'S 147°22.2'E, sandy bottom, 24 m, 24–25 April 1991, TAS-271; 2, AM P47147, 43°21.1'S 147°22.4'E, sandy bottom, 28 m, 24–25 April 1991, TAS-272 ; Cape Sorell: 6, AM P47148, 42°11.5'S 145°11'E, sand and detritus, 18 m, 26–27 April 1991, TAS-277; 10, AM P47149, 42°11.5'S 145°11'E, sand and detritus, 25 m, 26–27 April 1991, TAS-278; 3, AM P47150, 42°11.5'S 145°11.4'E, sand, 25 m, 26–27 April 1991, TAS-282; 2, AM P47151, 42°09.4'S 145°15'E, sandy bottom, 16 m, 27–28 April 1991, TAS-304; Freycinet Peninsula : 146, AM P47152, 42°17'S 148°18.8'E, 45 m, 30 April–1 May 1991, TAS-337 .

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: absent. Frontal lamina: lateral margins straight, narrowing anteriorly. Antenna: c. 0.35× as long as body, reaching to posterior of pereonite 3. Coxal plates: furrows strongly developed, on coxae 2–7. Pereonite 1, coxa 2 posterior margins sinuate, posteroventral corners developed into weak coxal points. Pleonite 4: apex forming a broad acute point. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.73× basal width; anterodorsal depression present; anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex produced into a small point; with 10 RS. Pereopods 1–6: males with conspicuous elongated RS subequal to propodus on the merus of pereopods 1–3 and extending from the carpus to dactylus of pereopods 4–6. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis narrow, width 0.47× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae along entire length. Penes: present. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending beyond tip of endopod; slender; margins sinuate; apex recurved, bent slightly medially, acute. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod.

Variation. In the material examined, there is a slight variation in the production of the pleotelson apex. The specimens from near Cape Sorell ( AM P47148–47151 ) have the apex more produced than the other specimens identified as Natatolana longispina .

Sexual dimorphism. Females lack the conspicuously elongated robust setae present on the merus of pereopods 1–3 and on the carpus of pereopods 4–6 of adult males.

Size. Females to 12.7 mm, males to 8.8 mm, mancas to 5.6 mm.

Remarks. Bruce (1986) noted that Natatolana longispina is similar to N. corpulenta . These two species can be easily separated by the anteroventral corner of coxa 2, it is rounded in N. longispina and produced into an acute tooth in N. corpulenta .

Distribution. Australia:southern and central New SouthWales; Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, Victoria; Bass Strait; east and west coasts of Tasmania. At depths of 9– 95 m.