Neritidae, common name

Common name

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

 the nerites, is a taxonomic family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of small to medium-sized saltwater and freshwater snail

Snail

Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...

s which have a gill

Gill

A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...

 and a distinctive operculum

Operculum (gastropod)

The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...

, marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

, brackish water

Brackish water

Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...

 and freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 gastropod mollusks in the order Neritoida

Neritoida

Neritoida was a taxonomic order of sea snails, freshwater snails and land snails, gastropod molluscs. This order was placed within the superorder Neritopsina within the order Orthogastropoda. Now see Neritoidea.-Superfamilies:...

.

The family Neritidae includes marine genera such as Nerita, marine and freshwater genera such as Neritina, and freshwater and brackish water genera such as Theodoxus.

The common name "nerite" as well as the family name Neritidae and the genus name Nerita

Nerita

Nerita is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with a gill and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.This is the type genus of the family Neritidae.-Distribution and habitat:...

, are derived from the name of Nerites, who was a sea god in Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

.

Taxonomy

This family consists of the five following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005

Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)

The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...

):

• Neritinae Rafinesque, 1815 - synonyms: Neritellinae Gray, 1847; Proto neritidae Kittl, 1899
• † Neritariinae Wenz, 1938
• Neritininae Poey, 1852
  • tribe Neritinini Poey, 1852 - synonyms: Catilinae Gray, 1868; Orthopomatini Gray, 1868; Stenopomatini Gray, 1868; Septariini Jousseaume, 1894
  • tribe Theodoxini Bandel, 2001
• Smaragdiinae H. B. Baker, 1923
• † Velatinae Bandel, 2001

Genera

Genera, subgenera and species within the family Neritidae include:

Subfamily Neritinae

• Genus Bathynerita
  Bathynerita
  Bathynerita is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae.-Species:Species within the genus Bathynerita include:* Bathynerita naticoidea Clarke, 1989...
  
  Clarke, 1989
• Genus Nerita
  Nerita
  Nerita is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with a gill and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.This is the type genus of the family Neritidae.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
  Linnaeus, 1758 - type genus
  • Subgenus Adenerita
  • Subgenus Amphinerita
  • Subgenus Cymostyla
  • Subgenus Heminerita
  • Subgenus Ilynerita
  • Subgenus Linnerita
  • Subgenus Melanerita Martens, 1889
    • Species Nerita atramentosa
      Nerita atramentosa
      Nerita atramentosa, common name the black nerite, is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae, the nerites....
      
      Reeve, 1855
    • Species Nerita melanotragus
      Nerita melanotragus
      Nerita melanotragus, common name black nerite, is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae, the nerites....
      
      Smith, E. A., 1884
  • Subgenus Mienerita
  • Subgenus Nerita
    Nerita
    Nerita is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with a gill and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.This is the type genus of the family Neritidae.-Distribution and habitat:...
    
    
  • Subgenus Ritena
  • Subgenus Theliostyla

† Neritariinae

• † Neritaria Koken, 1892

tribe Neritinini

• Genus Neritina
  Neritina
  Neritina is a genus of small aquatic snails with an operculum, marine, brackish water, and sometimes freshwater gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.Neritina is the type genus of the tribe Neritinini.- Species :...
  
  Rafinesque, 1815
  • Subgenus Dostia
  • Subgenus Neritina
    Neritina
    Neritina is a genus of small aquatic snails with an operculum, marine, brackish water, and sometimes freshwater gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.Neritina is the type genus of the tribe Neritinini.- Species :...
    
    
  • Subgenus Vittina
• Genus Turrita Wagner, 1897
  • • Species Turrita vittata
• Genus Vitta Mörch, 1852
  • • Species Vitta luteofasciatus
• Genus Septaria
  Septaria (gastropod)
  Septaria is a genus of freshwater or sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae.-Species:Species within the genus Septaria include:* Septaria borbonica - type species* Septaria janelli...
  
  Férussac, 1807

tribe Theodoxini

• Genus Clithon
  Clithon
  Clithon is a genus of freshwater snails or brackish snails that have an operculum, aquatic gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.- Distribution :...
  
  Montfort, 1810
• Genus Clypeolum Récluz, 1842
  • Species Clypeolum auriculatum
  • Species Clypeolum granosum
  • Species Clypeolum latissimum
• Genus Fluvinerita Pilsbry, 1932
  • Species Fluvinerita tenebricosa
• Genus Neripteron Lesson, 1831
  • Species Neripteron granosus
  • Species Neripteron guerinii

• Genus Neritodryas Martens, 1869
  • Species Neritodryas cornea
  • Species Neritodryas dubia
  • Species Neritodryas subsulcata
• Genus Puperita
  Puperita
  Puperita is a genus of snails, gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae.-Species:Species within the genus Puperita include:* Puperita bensoni * Puperita pupa - in the brackish water...
  
  Gray, 1857
• Genus Theodoxus
  Theodoxus
  Theodoxus is a genus of small freshwater and brackish water neritid snail with an operculum.- Distribution :Distribution of the genus Theodoxus include Europe and northern Africa to southern Iran.- Description :...
  
  Montfort, 1810

Subfamily Smaragdiinae

• Genus Gaillardotia Bourguignat, 1877
• Genus Magadis Melvill & Standen, 1899
• Genus Pisulina
  Pisulina
  Pisulina is a genus of submarine cave snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neritiliidae.-Species:Species within the genus Pisulina include:* Pisulina maxima Kano & Kase , 2000* Pisulina tenuis Kano & Kase, 2000...
  
  Nevill, 1869
  • Species Pisulina adamsiana
• Genus Smaragdella Baker, 1923
• Genus Smaragdia
  Smaragdia
  Smaragdia is a genus of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.Smaragdia is the type genus of the subfamily Smaragdiinae.-Species:Species within the genus Smaragdia include:...
  
  Issel, 1869
• Genus Smaragoista

† Velatinae

• † Velates Montfort, 1810

External links

• photos of various shells of Neritidae