Nerita is a genus of medium-sized to small sea snails with a gill and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Neritinae of the family Neritidae, the nerites.
This is the type genus of the family Neritidae.
Distribution and habitat
Species of Nerita can be found worldwide in tropical waters in the middle and upper intertidal zones. They are gregarious herbivores.
Description
The thick shell is broadly ovate or globular and low-spired. It has a smooth surface. The shells are spirally ribbed or show some axial sculpturing. The ventral side has a large columellar callus or parietal wall. The callus shows small pustules. The aperture and the edge of the columella are usually dentate with fine or robust teeth. The calcareus operculum is thick and can be smooth or with a granular structure. The whorls are covered with strong spiral cords.
Taxonomy
Several subgenera have been proposed over the course of time, but various authors in the past could not agree on the placement of many species. The subgeneric placement of the species of Nerita was revised by Vermeij in 1984. However, inconsistencies still remain over the use and validity of many taxonomic names, because species show a wide variety of colors, patterns and even details of shell morphology, which has given rise to many synonyms.
Species
Species within the genus Nerita include:
Nerita adenensis Mienis, 1978
Nerita albicilla Linnaeus, 1758
Nerita alveolus Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848
Nerita antiquata Récluz, 1841
Nerita apiata Récluz, 1843
Nerita argus Récluz, 1841
Nerita ascensionis Gmelin, 1791
Nerita aterrima Gmelin, 1791
Nerita atramentosa Reeve, 1855
Nerita balteata Reeve, 1855: probably congeneric with Nerita articulata
Nerita chamaeleon Linnaeus, 1758
Nerita chlorostoma Lamarck, 1816
Nerita costata Gmelin, 1791
Nerita costulata von dem Busch, 1844
† Nerita craigi Symonds, Gain & Belliard, 2017
Nerita dombeyi Récluz, 1841
Nerita eichhorsti Krijnen, Gras & Vink, 2018
Nerita ellyptica Le Guillou, 1841
Nerita erythrostoma Eichhorst & Neville, 2004
Nerita essingtoni Récluz, 1842
Nerita exuvia Linnaeus, 1758
Nerita filosa Reeve, 1855
† Nerita fortidentata Vermeij & Collins, 1988
Nerita fragum Reeve, 1855
Nerita fulgurans Gmelin, 1791 - Antillean nerite
Nerita fuliginata Reeve, 1855
Nerita funiculata Menke, 1851
Nerita gaimardii Souleyet, 1842
Nerita grasi Eichhorst, 2016
Nerita grisea Reeve, 1855
Nerita grossa Linnaeus, 1758
Nerita guamensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
Nerita helicinoides Reeve, 1855
Nerita histrio Linnaeus, 1758
Nerita incerta Von dem Busch in Philippi, 1844
Nerita insculpta Récluz, 1841
Nerita incurva E. von Martens, 1887
Nerita japonica Dunker, 1860
Nerita lianae T. Cossignani, 2019
Nerita lirellata Rehder, 1980
Nerita litterata Gmelin, 1791
Nerita longii Récluz, 1842
Nerita luteonigra Dekker, 2000
Nerita maculifera Le Guillou, 1841
Nerita magdalenae Gmelin, 1791
Nerita maura Récluz, 1842
Nerita maxima Gmelin, 1791
Nerita melanotragus E.A. Smith, 1884
† Nerita minor Sandberger, 1861
Nerita morio (G.B. Sowerby I, 1833) Nerita neritopsoides Reeve, 1855 Nerita nigerrima Dillwyn, 1817 Nerita nigrita Röding, 1798 Nerita novaeguineae Lesson, 1831 Nerita ocellata Le Guillou, 1841 Nerita olivaria Le Guillou, 1841 Nerita orbignyana Récluz, 1841 Nerita oryzarum Récluz, 1841 Nerita patula Récluz, 1841 Nerita peloronta Linnaeus, 1758- bleeding tooth Nerita picea Récluz, 1841 Nerita planospira Anton, 1839 Nerita plicata Linnaeus, 1758 Nerita polita Linnaeus, 1758 Nerita quadricolor Gmelin, 1791 Nerita quoyi Le Guillou, 1841 Nerita sanguinolenta Menke, 1829 Nerita scabricosta Lamarck, 1822 Nerita semirugosa Récluz, 1841 Nerita senegalensis Gmelin, 1791 Nerita signata Lamarck, 1822 Nerita striata Burrow, 1815 Nerita subgranosa Mabille, 1895 † Nerita symondsi Pacaud, 2017 Nerita tessellata Gmelin, 1791 - checkered nerite Nerita textilis Gmelin, 1791 Nerita trifasciata Le Guillou, 1841 Nerita umlaasiana Krauss, 1848 Nerita undata Linnaeus, 1758 (forms a complex) Nerita undulata Gmelin, 1791 Nerita versicolor Gmelin, 1791 - four-tooth nerite Nerita vexillum Reeve, 1855 Nerita vitiensis Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848 Nerita winteri Philippi, 1844 Nerita yoldii Récluz, 1841