Natatolana lowryi Keable, 1997

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

Natatolana lowryi Keable, 1997

Natatolana lowryi Keable, 1997: 256 , figs. 2–4.– Bruce et al., 2002: 151.

Type material. Holotype: 3, 15.3 mm, NTM Cr-011523 . Paratypes: ♀, manca, AM P44852; 3, NTM Cr-011508; 3, ZMUC CRU1713 ; 3, USNM 264079 . All examined. Type locality: Middle Arm, west of Channel Island, Darwin Harbour, NT, Australia, 12°33.7'S 130°50.7'E, [baited trap, unknown substrate, probably muddy sediment], 2 m, [S. Keable, 12–13 Jul. 1993, NT-148] .

Material examined. Listed by Keable (1997).

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: well developed, extending across the cephalon; smoothly convex. Frontal lamina: lateral margins straight, narrowing anteriorly. Antenna: c. 0.2× as long as body, reaching to posterior of pereonite 1. Coxal plates: furrows variously developed, incomplete furrows on coxae 3 and 4, absent on other coxae. Pleonite 4: apex forming a broad acute point. Pleotelson: narrow, length 1.01× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins almost straight and angling posteriorly toward the midline; posterolateral margins straight, contiguous with anterolateral margins; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point; with 10–14 RS. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis of medium breadth, width 0.46× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina greater than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae on proximal quarter. Penes: absent. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending beyond tip of endopod, 1.09× length of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, acute. Uropods: exopod short, 0.77× the length of the endopod.

Variation. The holotype specimen has 11 robust setae on the pleotelson margin, the majority of other specimens in the type series have 12 robust setae on the pleotelson and the other material reported by Keable (1997) mostly has 14 robust setae on the pleotelson.

Size. Adults to c. 20 mm.

Remarks. Natatolana lowryi is most similar to N. luticola . It is separated from that species by the posterolateral margins of the pleotelson being less markedly angled to the anterolateral margins and by having a more acute angle at the apex of the pleotelson. The fringe of long slender setae on the posterior margin of the antennal peduncular article 4 is also a distinctive character state for this species.

Distribution and ecology. Australia: Darwin and Gove, Northern Territory; Gulf of Carpentaria. At depths of 2– 55 m. Scavenger.