Neritidae,
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...
the nerites, is a
taxonomic family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of small to medium-sized saltwater and
freshwater snail
Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks which live in fresh water. There are many different families. They are found throughout the world in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and springs ...
s which have a
gill
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they ar ...
and a distinctive
operculum.
[
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Neritininae Poey, 1852. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=411639 on 2021-09-25]

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'', are derived from the name of
Nerites, who was a sea god in
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
.
Distribution
Neritidae live primarily in the southern hemisphere, but there are some exceptions, such as a genus ''
Theodoxus'' which can be found in Europe and Northern Africa
[Bunje P. M. & Lindberg D. R. (2007). "Lineage divergence of a freshwater snail clade associated with post-Tethys marine basin development". '' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 42(2): 373–387. .] or ''
Bathynerita naticoidea
''Bathynerita naticoidea'' is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae, the nerites. This species is endemic to underwater cold seeps (oil seeps and gas seeps) in the northern Gulf of Mexico and in the Ca ...
''.
Taxonomy
This family consists of the five following subfamilies (according to the
taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):
*
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
[Bandel K. (2001). "The history of ''Theodoxus'' and ''Neritina'' connected with description and systematic evaluation of related Neritimorpha (Gastropoda)". '' Mittelungen aus dem Geologisch-Palaontologischen Institut Universitat Hamburg'' 85: 65-164]
abstract
.
*
Smaragdiinae H. B. Baker, 1923
* †
Velatinae Bandel, 2001
Genera
Genera, subgenera and species within the family Neritidae include:
* † ''
Bajanerita''
Squires, 1993
* † ''
Calyptronerita''
Le Renard, 1980
* † ''
Cuisenerita'' S
ymonds & Pacaud, 2010
* † ''
Mesoneritina''
Yen, 1946
* † ''
Monsneritina''
Kowalke, 2002
Subfamily
Neritinae
*Genus ''
Bathynerita
''Bathynerita'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Bathynerita'' include:
* ''Bathynerita naticoidea
''Bathynerita naticoidea'' is a species of small sea sn ...
''
Clarke, 1989
*Genus ''
Mienerita
''Mienerita'' 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.
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Mienerita Dekker, ...
''
Dekker, 2000
*Genus ''
Nerita''
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...
, 1758 - type genus, synonyms: ''Turrita'' Wagner, 1897
**Subgenus ''
Adenerita''
**Subgenus ''
Amphinerita''
**Subgenus ''
Cymostyla''
**Subgenus ''
Heminerita''
**Subgenus ''
Ilynerita''
**Subgenus ''
Linnerita''
**Subgenus ''
Melanerita'' Martens, 1889
***Species ''
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.
There has been some confusion over the taxonomy of the genus ''Nerita'' in the Pacific region; ...
'' Reeve, 1855
***Species ''
Nerita melanotragus
''Nerita melanotragus'', common name black nerite, is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae, the nerites.
There has been some confusion over the taxonomy of the genus ''Nerita'' in the Pacific region, ho ...
'' Smith, E. A., 1884
**Subgenus ''
Nerita''
**Subgenus ''
Ritena''
**Subgenus ''
Theliostyla''
Subfamily † Neritariinae
* † ''
Neritaria'' Koken, 1892
Subfamily Neritininae
* ''
Clithon''
Montfort, 1810
* ''
Clypeolum
''Clypeolum'' is a genus of fungi in the Ascomycota
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the l ...
''
Récluz, 1842
* ''
Fluvinerita''
Pilsbry, 1932
** ''
Fluvinerita tenebricosa''
* † ''
Manana''
Gabuniya, 1949
* † ''
Mananopsis''
Gabuniya, 1949
* ''
Nereina
''Nereina'' is a genus of brackish water and freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Neritininae of the family Neritidae, the nerites.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Nereina de Cristofori & Ja ...
''
de Cristofori & Jan, 1832
* ''
Neripteron
''Neripteron'' is a genus of brackish water and freshwater snails, an aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Neritininae of the family Neritidae, the nerites. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Neripteron Lesson, 1831. Accessed through ...
''
Lesson, 1831
** ''
Neripteron vespertinum
''Neripteron vespertinum'' is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae
Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized saltwater and freshwater snails which have a ...
''
(Sowerby II, 1849)

* ''
Neritina
''Neritina'' (common name: nerite snails), is a genus of small aquatic snails with an operculum in the family Neritidae, the nerites.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Neritina Lamarck, 1816. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Speci ...
''
Rafinesque, 1815
**Subgenus ''
Dostia''
* † ''
Neritinopsis''
Gabuniya, 1953
* ''
Neritodryas
''Neritodryas'' is a genus of freshwater snails, (some of which are amphibious and terrestrial living on trees and bushes); they are gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae, the nerites.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Neritodryas vo ...
''
Martens, 1869
* ''
Neritona
''Neritona'' is a genus of small aquatic snails with an operculum, marine, brackish water, and sometimes freshwater gastropod molluscs in the family Neritidae, the nerites.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Neritona Martens, 1869. Acces ...
''
Martens, 1869
* † ''
Neritoplica''
Oppenheim, 1892
* ''
Puperita
''Puperita'' is a genus of snails, gastropod mollusks in the family Neritidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Puperita'' include:
* ''Puperita bensoni'' (Recluz, 1850)
* ''Puperita pupa
''Puperita pupa'' is a species of small sea ...
''
Gray, 1857
* ''
Septaria''
Férussac, 1807
* ''
Theodoxus''
Montfort, 1810
* † ''
Velatella''
Meek, 1873
* ''
Vitta'' Mörch, 1852
* ''
Vittina
''Vittina'' is a genus of brackish water and freshwater snails with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Neritininae of the family Neritidae, the nerites. Sartori, André F. (2014). ''Vittina'' H. B. Baker, 1924. In: Mo ...
''
H. B. Baker, 1923
Subfamily Smaragdiinae
*Genus ''
Gaillardotia'' Bourguignat, 1877
*Genus ''
Magadis'' Melvill & Standen, 1899
* Genus ''
Smaragdella'' Baker, 1923
* Genus ''
Smaragdia
''Smaragdia'' is a genus of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Neritinae of the family Neritidae, the nerites.
Species
Species within the genus ''Smaragdia'' include:
* '' Smaragdia bryanae'' (Pilsbry, 1918)
* † ...
'' Issel, 1869
[WoRMS (2009). ''Smaragdia'' Issel, 1869. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2009) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138255 on 2010-05-03]
*Genus ''
Smaragoista''
Subfamily † Velatinae
* † ''
Velates
''Velates'' is an extinct genus of marine gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and ...
''
Montfort, 1810
Synonyms
* † ''Agapilia''
Harzhauser & Kowalke, 2001 : synonym of ''Vitta''
Mörch, 1852
* ''Navicella''
Lamarck, 1816: synonym of ''Septaria''
Férussac, 1807 (junior synonym)
* † ''Ninniopsis''
Tomlin, 1930: synonym of † ''Theodoxus (Ninniopsis)''
Tomlin, 1930 represented as ''Theodoxus''
Montfort, 1810 (original rank)
* ''Orthopoma''
Gray, 1868: synonym of ''Septaria''
Férussac, 1807
* ''Orthopomatini''
Gray, 1868: synonym of ''Neritininae''
Poey, 1852
* ''Paranerita''
Bourne, 1908: synonym of ''Vittina''
H. B. Baker, 1923 (Invalid: junior homonym of ''Paranerita''
Hampson, 1901 epidoptera
* ''Pseudonerita''
H. B. Baker, 1923: synonym of ''Neripteron (Pseudonerita)''
H. B. Baker, 1923 represented as ''Neripteron''
Lesson, 1831
* ''Serenia''
Benson, 1856: synonym of ''Neritona''
Martens, 1869 (unavailable name: established in synonymy)
* ''Tanalia''
Gray, 1847: synonym of ''Neritona''
Martens, 1869
* ''Theodoxia''
Bourguignat, 1877: synonym of ''Theodoxus''
Montfort, 1810 (Invalid: unjustified emendation of Theodoxus)
* ''Theodoxis''
Montfort, 1810: synonym of ''Theodoxus''
Montfort, 1810 (alternative original spelling, not in use)
References
* Starobogatov, Y. I. (1970). Fauna Molliuskov i Zoogeograficheskoe Raionirovanie Kontinental'nykh Vodoemov Zemnogo Shara
Nauka. Leningrad. 372 p., 12 tables
External links
Gray, J. E. (1868). Notes on Catillus, Humphrey, or Navicella, Lamarck, with descriptions of two new genera. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1867: 993-1000Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia. 47 (1-2): 1-397*
Bourne G. C. (1908). "Contributions to the morphology of the group Neritacea of aspidobranch gastropods. I. The Neritidae." ''
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
The ''Journal of Zoology'' is a scientific journal concerning zoology, the study of animals. It was founded in 1830 by the Zoological Society of London and is published by Wiley-Blackwell. It carries original research papers, which are targete ...
'' 1908
810887.
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
{{Commons category, Neritidae
Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque