Genus Neopinnaspis

McKenzie, 1949

Appearance in life
Scale cover of adult female elongate, like an irregularly shaped mussel shell, flat to moderately convex, whitish to light brown, with bronze terminal exuviae. Males not observed.

Morphology
Adult female not pupillarial; body elongate and fusiform; usually membranous except for the triangular pygidium; lateral lobes of free abdominal segments moderately developed, never with marginal sclerotized spurs. Pygidium with acute apex, formed by prominent median lobes set close together, with the apices approaching, not zygotic; each lobe notched laterally. Second lobes variable and notched, smaller than median lobes and situated quite close to them; third lobes reduced, variable and notched. Ventral paraphyses usually present, arising from median lobes at least. Gland spines well developed except between median lobes and between median and second lobes, where they are short or absent; present on pygidial segments and usually on abdominal segments III and IV; a pair sometimes present between median lobes; replaced by ventral duct tubercles anterior to abdominal segment II. Anus circular, situated in the anterior quarter of the pygidium; vulva situated at, or just anterior to, centre of pygidium. Marginal macroducts usually numbering 6 on either side of the pygidium, occurring singly except for two associated with third lobe; never present between median lobes; each marginal macroduct large, with a thick sclerotized rim and with the long axis of the orifice approximately perpendicular to the pygidial margin. Dorsal macroducts much smaller than marginal ducts, slender, arranged in segmental series on pygidium and prepygidium; present on segment VI, lateral to anus. Submarginal dorsal bosses absent. Duct tubercles may be present anterior to abdominal segment II. Perivulvar pores sometimes rather few, present in 4-5 groups. Stigmatic disc pores few, present by anterior spiracles only. Antennae each usually with 2 setae.

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