Neoarcturus biserialis (Kensley, 1978) Poore, 2003

Poore, G. C. B., 2003, Revision of Holidoteidae, an endemic southern African family of Crustacea, and re-appraisal of taxa previously included in its three genera (Isopoda: Valvifera), Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 1805-1846 : 1820-1822

Neoarcturus biserialis (Kensley, 1978) comb. nov.

(figure 6C)

Microarcturus biserialis Kensley, 1978a: 128–130 , figure 2a–i; Kensley, 1978b: 27, figure 11a, b; Kensley, 1984: 240, figure 12a–d.

Material examined

Holotype juvenile (not male as stated by Kensley), two paratype males, SAM A15467 .

Diagnosis

Eyes colourless. Dorsum with dominant submedial dorsal spines on pereonites 1–7 and pleonites 1–3, dorsolateral spines on pereonites 2 and 3. Male pereonite 1 without lateral projections, pereonites 2–7 with triangular lateral wings, weaker posteriorly; female unknown. Pleotelson apex almost right-angled, not apically produced as spine, posterolateral margins with well-defined angular flanges. Male pleonites 1–3 each with paired submedial dorsal spines, none strongly elevated as dorsal bosses. Posteroventral margin of pereonite 4 of male with bilobed flat plate. Male to 4.8 mm.

Remarks

This probably blind species is most unlike other members of the genus in having well-defined rows of submedial spines on the body segments and lacking the elevated domes on pleonite 2 of the male. It is found off KwaZulu-Natal, north-eastern South Africa, at 1300 m depth.