Natatolana insignis Hobbins & Jones, 1993

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 193-194

Natatolana insignis Hobbins & Jones, 1993

Natatolana insignis Hobbins & Jones, 1993: 124 , figs. 7–10.– Brusca et al., 1995: 80.– Kensley, 2001: 230.

Cirolana albicaudata .– Barnard, 1936: 152, fig. 2a–c [misidentification, not Natatolana albicaudata ( Stebbing, 1900) ].

Type material. Holotype: 3, SIF 19041 . Paratypes: ♀, SIF 19042 ; 7♀♀ SIF 19043. None examined. Type locality: Central Red Sea, 21°28.97'N 38°15.55'E, 740–785 m, [R. V. VALDIVIA, Station Va22-111 ST-235, 12 April 1979] .

Material examined. India: 18, ZMUC CRU105 , off Tranquebar , 11°6'N 80°5'E, coarse sand and mud, 148 m, Galathea stn 288, 21 Apr. 1951 . Thailand: 3, PMBC, Phuket Bay , c. 7°52'N 98°22'E, 10 Jul. 1981 .

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: well developed, extending across the cephalon; smoothly convex. Frontal lamina: lateral margins medially constricted. Antenna: c. 0.42× as long as body, reaching to approximately half way along pereonite 4. Flagellum digitate processes present in males. Coxal plates: furrows moderately developed, on all coxae (although only shown on coxae 4–7 in original description). Pleonite 4: apex forming a broad acute point. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.79× basal width; anterodorsal depression absent (although a depression is apparent it is not equivalent to the distinct and abrupt depression found in species such as N. pellucida ); anterolateral margins convex; posterolateral margins broadly rounded; lateral margins converging smoothly to a point; with 6–8 RS (8 in description but only 6 figured, 8 in material examined). Pereopod 2: propodus with 2 RS on palm. Pereopod 3: propodus with 1 RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis broad, width 0.54× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae on proximal threequarters. Penes: absent. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: just shorter than endopod, 0.75× length of endopod; margins very slightly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod short, 0.63–0.75× the length of the endopod.

Sexual dimorphism. Females lack the digitate processes on the articles of the antennal flagellum.

Size. Adults to c. 10 mm.

Remarks. The presence of digitate processes on the articles of the antennal flagella in males of Natatolana insignis distinguish this species from all others in the genus. The shape of the uropod endopod is also highly distinctive, with a broadly rounded medial margin and distinct notch on the lateral margin.

Distribution and ecology. Red Sea; Arabian Sea; Gulf of Oman; India: Bombay and Tranquebar; Thailand: Phuket. At depths of 148–1825 m. Scavenger.