Natatolana gallica ( Hansen, 1905 )

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 180-181

Natatolana gallica ( Hansen, 1905)

Synonymy in Keable & Bruce, 1997: 677, figs. 8–10. Additional listings and records of this species are those of Castelló & Carballo (2001, p. 231).

Type material. Syntypes: 157 specimens, ZMUC CRU147 (examined). Type locality: Roscoff [ France, c. 48°42'N 4°0'W, although Hansen (1905) also cites Guernsey and Jersey as possible type localities and indicates the specimens are from the collections of the maritime station of Roscoff] .

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

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins medially constricted. Antenna: c. 0.27× as long as body, reaching to approximately one third of the way along pereonite 3. Coxal plates: furrows moderately developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 4: apex slightly rounded. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.95× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point; with 3–5 RS. Pereopod 2: propodus with 0–1 RS on palm. Pereopod 3: ischium anterodistal angle produced, but not as produced as on pereopods 1 and 2, similar to pereopod 4. Propodus with 0–1 RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis broad, width 0.65× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina greater than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with dense setae along entire length. Penes: absent, vasa deferentia opening flush to surface of sternite 7 (area around openings slightly raised but not forming flexible processes). Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending beyond tip of endopod, 1.05× length of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, with a distinct acute projection. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod, 0.88× the length of the endopod.

Size. To c. 25 mm.

Remarks. Natatolana gallica was redescribed by Keable & Bruce (1997). It is most similar to N. thalme but differs noticeably from that species in having the posterolateral margin of the pleotelson convex and smoothly continuous with the anterolateral margins (angled to the anterolateral margins in N. thalme ), more strongly developed coxal furrows, dense setae along the length of the posterior margin of the basis of pereopod 7 (sparse in N. thalme ) and in often having robust setae on the palm of the propodus of pereopods 2 and 3 (absent in N. thalme ).

Distribution. Atlantic coasts of Europe and northern Africa. At depths of 8–210 m (Keable & Bruce, 1997; Castelló & Carballo, 2001).