Natatolana woodjonesi ( Hale, 1924 )

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 235-236

Natatolana woodjonesi ( Hale, 1924)

Cirolana woodjonesi Hale, 1924: 71 , fig. 2, pl. 2.–1925: 137, fig. 5 (part).–1929: 248, figs. 232, 233, 240.– Nierstrasz, 1931: 157.– Naylor, 1966: 184.– Poore et al., 1975: 33.– Holdich et al., 1981: 575, fig. 9.

Cirolana woodjonsoni .– Roman, 1970: 167, 192, 195, 197 [lapsus].

Natatolana woodjonesi .– Bruce, 1981: 958, figs. 1d–e, 2c–d, 3e– f, 4c, 5c–d.–1986: 98, figs. 66, 68.– Brusca et al., 1995: 82.– Bruce et al., 2002: 154.

Not Cirolana woodjonesi .– Hale, 1940: 288 [mis-identification = Natatolana bulba Bruce, 1986 ; Natatolana arcicauda (Holdich, Harrison & Bruce, 1981) ].

Type material. Hale (1924) did not designate type specimens, instead the description “is based upon a series taken from body cavity of a Port Jackson shark… collected by Mr Collyer”. Specimens from several other locations and variation within the species were also mentioned in the original description. Therefore, there was originally a syntype series and all the material initially mentioned by Hale (1924) is accordingly registered as syntypes in the SAMA: 3 specimens, C230, Beachport, South Australia, 3–4 fm, H.M. Hale (examined, re-identified as N. wowine Bruce, 1986 ); 21 specimens, C231, Elliston, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, on bait when line fishing, H.M. Hale (examined, re-identified as N. wowine Bruce, 1986 ); 3, C228, Gulf St. Vincent, from body cavity of Heterodontus phillipi (Port Jackson shark), H. Collyer (examined); 36 specimens, C160, Gulf St. Vincent, from body cavity of Heterodontus phillipi (Port Jackson shark), H. Collyer (examined). Hale (1925) illustrated a “type male” and gave Gulf St. Vincent as “type loc.”. Under ICZN article 74.5 this qualifies as a lectotype designation. Unfortunately, Hale did not clearly indicate which specimen from the Gulf St. Vincent material this male was. Holdich et al. (1981) recognized a male specimen ( SAMA C228), previously noted by Hale (1924) as the largest specimen, as the “Type” and St. Vincent Gulf as the type locality. Bruce (1986) under the heading material examined noted “ Holotype, male” and under the heading “Types” noted “Held by the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, C228”, it was also stated that the type locality is Port Willunga, South Australia. The male C228, however, should be regarded as a lectotype, the other material registered as syntypes are paralectotypes and the exact type locality is not known more precisely than Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia. Type locality: Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia, [ Australia].

Material examined. New South Wales: 195, AM P38676, off Grotto Point, Port Jackson , 33°49.2'S 151°15.75'E, baited trap, unknown substrate, probably sediment, 10 m, S. Keable, J. Lowry & D. Townsend, 16–17 Jul. 1988 . Tasmania: 169, AM P47246, about 1 km off steps at south end of Ocean Beach on a line towards Cape Sorell Lighthouse , 42°09.4'S 145°15'E, baited trap, sand, 16 m, J. Lowry & S. Keable, 27–28 April 1991, TAS-305 .

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins medially constricted. Antenna: c. 0.26× as long as body, reaching to posterior of pereonite 2. Coxal plates: furrows moderately developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 4: apex slightly rounded. Pleotelson: broad or narrow, length 0.96–1.01× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex produced into a small point; with 3–6 RS. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis broad, width 0.7–0.8× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina greater than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae along entire length. Penes: absent, vasa deferentia opening flush to surface of sternite 7 (although Bruce (1986) indicates the penes to be present as small papillae). Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending beyond tip of endopod, 1.04– 1.06× length of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally or straight; slender; apex recurved, bent slightly medially, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod, 0.84–0.87× the length of the endopod.

Variation. Pleotelson and uropod robust setal counts from margins (n=10), paralectotypes SAMA C160 : Pleotelson : 2:2 (100%). Endopod , medial: 3 (10%), 4 (90%); lateral: 2 (90%), 3 (10%). Exopod , medial: 1 (10%), 2 (90%); lateral: 4 (60%), 5 (40%). Pleotelson and uropod robust setal counts from margins (n=10), non type material AM P38676. Pleotelson : 2:1 (10%), 2:2 (50%), 2:3 (10%), 3:3 (30%). Endopod , medial: 4 (90%), 5 (10%); lateral: 2 (100%). Exopod , medial: 2 (100%); lateral: 5 (100%). Specimens from Port Jackson ( AM P38676) have a narrower pleotelson than the type material .

Sexual dimorphism. Females may be larger than males.

Size. Largest female 19.9 mm.

Remarks. Hale (1924) mentions variation in the number of articles present in the antennal flagellum of Natatolana woodjonesi . This is probably because there are two species in the original syntype series. The specimens from Beachport (SAMA C230) and those from Elliston (SAMA C231) appear to be N. wowine , a species that has longer a antennal flagellum containing more articles than are found in N. woodjonesi . In Natatolana woodjonesi the antenna reach to the posterior of pereonite 2 and there are up to c. 21 articles in the flagella. In N. wowine the antenna extend to the posterior or pereonite 3 and the flagella contain up to c. 28 articles.

Figures of the lectotype of Natatolana woodjonesi in Holdich et al. (1981) have two omissions. The uropod exopod is shown and described as having two robust setae on the lateral margin. There are actually four to five robust setae on this margin, some of which are flattened and difficult to see. The illustration of pereopod 7 lacks the slender setae along the anterior margin of the ischium as shown by Hale (1924), Hale (1925) and Bruce (1986).

Distribution and ecology. Australia: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia. In depths to 82 m. Scavenger.