General Description
Body cylindrical, with prominent antennae. The first four pairs of legs are thin and with rows of hairs; the last three pairs are more stubby and attach the animal. The body bends between the elongate fourth body segment and the fifth, up to 15 mm long.
Biology
Neastacilla kanowna although first collected from Victorian waters in the 1980's, was not formally described until 2003. The species name, "kanowna" is an Australian Aboriginal name for the sea. This species of skeleton louse is one of the largest at around 15 mm in length.
Habitat
Subtidal attached to algae or bryozoans to depths of 29 m.
Reefs
Distribution guide
Southern temperate oceans, including south-eastern Australia.
Species Group
Depth
Water Column
Max Size
15 mm
Diet
Plankton or Particles
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Recorded in Australia
Conservation Status
- DSE Advisory List : Not listed
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Not listed
Author
Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.
Author
Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Skeleton Louse, Neastacilla kanowna, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 13 Jan 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5305
