Neastacilla sheardi (Hale)

King, R. A., 2003, Neastacilla Tattersall, 1921 redefined, with eight new species from Australia (Crustacea: Isopoda: Arcturidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (2), pp. 371-416 : 401

Neastacilla sheardi (Hale)

Astacilla sheardi Hale, 1946: 183–184 , fig. 13.

Neastacilla sheardi . — Poore et al., 2002: 259.

Diagnosis of female. Eyes small and subtriangular. Head with dorsal elevation (with 2 apices) slightly posterior to eyes, and small single dorsal elevation posteriorly; lateral margin of head and pereonite 1 not incised. Pereonite 1 with single small dorsal elevation. Pereonites 2–3 dorsally smooth, with small lateral expansions present. Pereonite about six times as long as pereonite 3, with anterolateral expansions, with pair of blunt dorsal elevations at midlength and blunt dorsal elevation posteriorly. Pereonites 5–7 dorsally smooth. Pleon as long as pereonites 5–7 combined, with 2 pairs of lateral wings, apex subacute. 5 mm.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Australia: South Australia (Spencer Gulf): subtidal.

Remarks. This species is diagnosed using the description of Hale (1946). believe that Hale’s single specimen was an immature female, as the marsupium does not look to be fully formed. The specimen drawn by Hale (1946) is similar to Neastacilla inaequispinosa but can be easily distinguished from it by the much broader pleon, the shape and ornamentation of the head and slightly more robust antenna 2. If N. sheardi is found to be an immature specimen, on further examination, it may more closely resemble N. marrimarri or N. tuberculata .