Natatolana kahiba Bruce, 1986

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 195

Natatolana kahiba Bruce, 1986

Natatolana kahiba Bruce, 1986: 111 , fig.76.–Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994: 48.– Brusca et al., 1995: 80.– Bruce et al., 2002: 150.

Type material. Holotype: ♀, 8.2 mm, ZMUC CRU1693 . Paratype: AM P32175. All examined. Type locality: 5 km south of North Solitary Island [originally cited as off Cape Byron, corrected by Springthorpe & Lowry (1994)], NSW, Australia, 29°57'S 153°24'E, 75 m.

Material examined. New South Wales: 37, AM P47283, east of Coffs Harbour, 30°17.49'S 153°13.90'E, 45.4 m, 11–12 Aug. 1993, SEAS NSW-873; 7, AM P47284, off Rosherville Beach, Port Jackson , 33°48.9'S 151°15.0'E, baited trap, 10 m, S. Keable & J. Lowry, 8–9 May 1988, stn 10 . Tasmania: many,AM P47285, mouth of Fortescue Bay , 43°07.77'S 145°59.47'E, baited trap, 50 m, 17–18 April 1993, SEAS TAS-368 .

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins medially constricted. Antenna: c. 0.2–0.25× as long as body, reaching to between the posterior of pereonites 1–2 (holotype pereonite 1, paratype pereonite 2). Coxal plates: furrows moderately developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 4: apex rounded. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.9× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex produced into a small point; with 4 RS. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis broad, width 0.66× 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. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending subequal with tip of endopod, 0.94× length of endopod; margins straight or very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex recurved, bent slightly medially, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod short, 0.71× the length of the endopod.

Variation. The antennal flagellum of the holotype and paratype has 12 and 15 articles, respectively. In material examined from Coffs Harbour ( AM P47283) near the type locality and in Port Jackson ( AM P47284) there are up to 18 articles in the antennal flagellum .

Size. Adults to c. 25 mm.

Remarks. This is the first record of a male specimen of Natatolana kahiba . This species is most similar to N. bulba , N. arrama and N. woodjonesi . It can be most easily separated from these species by the presence of two to three robust setae on the lateral margin of the uropod exopod.

Bruce (1986, p. 111) described small spines (= robust setae) on the palm of the propodus of pereopods 2 and 3 of this species. Absence of these robust setae is, however, regarded by Bruce (1986) as a diagnostic character of species in the Natatolana woodjonesi group, into which he places N. kahiba , and in his key to species N. kahiba can only be reached if it is assumed that these robust setae are absent. Examination of these setae in N. kahiba indicates they are minute and easily overlooked. They do not appear to be homologous to the robust setae found in this position in other species because in N. kahiba they are slender and flexible and appear to have their base on the lateral margin of the pereopod rather than the palm itself. This observation is consistent with the placement of N. kahiba in the N. woodjonesi group and key to species by Bruce (1986).

Distribution and ecology. Australia: northern and central New South Wales; Tasmania. At depths of 10– 75 m. Scavenger.