Natatolana rekohu Bruce, 2003

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 218

Natatolana rekohu Bruce, 2003

Natatolana rekohu Bruce, 2003: 4 , figs. 1–4.

Type material. Holotype, NIWA H831 , male (19.5 mm) . Paratypes, NIWA P1380 , 533 (18.5, 20.0, 20.5, 23.3, 24.0 [dissected] mm), 13♀♀ (non-ovigerous 17.5–26.5 mm), 3 mancas (8.5, 9.1, 12.0 mm). None examined. Type locality: Chatham Rise, 46°38.24'S 178°31.39'E, 2769 m .

Material examined. 10, AM P65202, from type locality .

Diagnosis. Eyes: vestigial. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins concave but not medially constricted, narrowing toward apex. Antenna: c. 0.19× as long as body, reaching to middle of pereonite 3. Coxal plates: furrows strongly developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 2: ventral posterolateral margin not produced. Pleonite 4: apex slightly rounded. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.7× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent; anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point, or rounded; with 12–18 RS. Pereopod 2: propodus with 3–7 RS on palm. Pereopod 3: propodus with 4 RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis narrow, width 0.39× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae on more than proximal half. Penes: present. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: just shorter than endopod, 0.9× length of endopod; margins very strongly curved laterally; broad; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, club shaped with a lateral notch. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod, 0.87× the length of the endopod.

Size. Males 18.5–24.0mm, females 17.5–24.5mm, both with a mean of 21mm; mancas 8.5–12.0mm.

Remarks. Natatolana rekohu is most similar to N. imicola . It can be distinguished from that species by (in N. rekohu ) the greater number of robust setae on the propodal palm of pereopods 1–3 and the (generally) greater number of robust setae on the margins of the pleotelson and uropods. These two species can be separated from other species of Natatolana in which the eyes are vestigial or absent by: the presence of coxal furrows on all coxae; the distinctive club shaped appendix masculina of male specimens; and the ischium of pereopod 3 having the anterodistal angle not weakly produced relative to that of pereopods 1–2.

Distribution and ecology. Chatham Rise, southeast of New Zealand. At a depth of 2799 m. Scavenger.