Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a family of small to medium-sized sea and freshwater snails which have a gill and a distinctive operculum. 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.

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 or Bathynerita naticoidea.

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

• 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 Symonds & Pacaud, 2010

• † Mesoneritina Yen, 1946

• † Monsneritina Kowalke, 2002

Subfamily Neritinae

• Genus Bathynerita Clarke, 1989

• Genus Mienerita Dekker, 2000

Genus Nerita Linnaeus, 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 Reeve, 1855

• Species Nerita melanotragus Smith, E. A., 1884

• Subgenus Nerita

• Subgenus Ritena

• Subgenus Theliostyla

Subfamily † Neritariinae

• † Neritaria Koken, 1892

Subfamily Neritininae

• Clithon Montfort, 1810

• Clypeolum Récluz, 1842

Fluvinerita Pilsbry, 1932

• Fluvinerita tenebricosa

• † Manana Gabuniya, 1949

• † Mananopsis Gabuniya, 1949

• Nereina de Cristofori & Jan, 1832

Neripteron Lesson, 1831

• Neripteron vespertinum (Sowerby II, 1849)

Neritina Rafinesque, 1815

• Subgenus Dostia

• † Neritinopsis Gabuniya, 1953

• Neritodryas Martens, 1869

• Neritona Martens, 1869

• † Neritoplica Oppenheim, 1892

• Puperita Gray, 1857

• Septaria Férussac, 1807

• † Superior Francois, 1953

• Theodoxus Montfort, 1810

• † Velatella Meek, 1873

• Vitta Mörch, 1852

• Vittina H. B. Baker, 1923

Subfamily Smaragdiinae

• Genus Gaillardotia Bourguignat, 1877

• Genus Magadis Melvill & Standen, 1899

• Genus Smaragdella Baker, 1923

• Genus Smaragdia Issel, 1869

• Genus Smaragoista

Subfamily † Velatinae

• † Velates 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 [Lepidoptera])

• 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 [The Molluscan Fauna and Zoogeographical Zoning of the Continental Water Bodies of the World]. 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: 993-1000

• Bouchet, 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 1908: 810-887.

• Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642