  We present the results of a 21 cm neutral hydrogen (HI) line detection
experiment in the direction of 18 low luminosity dwarf galaxies of the
Centaurus A group, using the Australia Telescope National Facility 64m Parkes
Radio Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Five dwarfs have HI
masses between M_HI=4x10^5 to M_HI=2.1x10^7 Msol and 0.04<M_HI/L_B<1.81 Msol
L_{sol, B}^-1. The other 13 have upper-limits between M_HI<5x10^5 and
M_HI<4x10^6 Msol (M_HI}/L_B<0.24 Msol L_{sol, B}^-1). Two of the
mixed-morphology dwarfs remain undetected in HI, a situation that is in
contrast to that of similar Local Group and Sculptor group objects where all
contain significant amounts of neutral gas. There is a discontinuity in the HI
properties of Centaurus A group low luminosity dwarfs that is unobserved
amongst Sculptor group dwarfs. All objects fainter than M_B=-13 have either
M_HI>10^7 Msol or M_HI<10^6 Msol. This gap may be explained by the ram pressure
stripping mechanism at work in this dense environment where all galaxies with
M_HI<10^7 Msol have been stripped of their gas. The required intergalactic
medium density to achieve this is ~10^-3 cm^-3.
