Neritidae

Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a family of small to medium-sized saltwater 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 <small>Squires, 1993</small>
• † Calyptronerita <small>Le Renard, 1980</small>
• † Cuisenerita S<small>ymonds & Pacaud, 2010</small>
• † Mesoneritina <small>Yen, 1946</small>
• † Monsneritina <small>Kowalke, 2002</small>

Subfamily Neritinae

• Genus Bathynerita <small>Clarke, 1989</small>
• Genus Mienerita <small>Dekker, 2000</small>
• Genus Nerita <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> - 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 <small>Montfort, 1810</small>
• Clypeolum <small>Récluz, 1842</small>
• Fluvinerita <small>Pilsbry, 1932</small>
• Fluvinerita tenebricosa
• † Manana <small>Gabuniya, 1949</small>
• † Mananopsis <small>Gabuniya, 1949</small>
• Nereina <small>de Cristofori & Jan, 1832</small>
• Neripteron <small>Lesson, 1831</small>
• Neripteron vespertinum <small>(Sowerby II, 1849)</small>

• Neritina <small>Rafinesque, 1815</small>
• Subgenus Dostia
• † Neritinopsis <small>Gabuniya, 1953</small>
• Neritodryas <small>Martens, 1869</small>
• Neritona <small>Martens, 1869</small>
• † Neritoplica <small>Oppenheim, 1892</small>
• Puperita <small>Gray, 1857</small>
• Septaria <small>Férussac, 1807</small>
• † Superior <small>Francois, 1953</small>
• Theodoxus <small>Montfort, 1810</small>
• † Velatella <small>Meek, 1873</small>
• Vitta Mörch, 1852
• Vittina <small>H. B. Baker, 1923</small>

Subfamily Smaragdiinae

• Genus Gaillardotia Bourguignat, 1877
• Genus Magadis Melvill & Standen, 1899
• Genus Smaragdella Baker, 1923
• Genus Smaragdia Issel, 1869
• Genus Smaragoista

Subfamily † Velatinae

• † Velates <small>Montfort, 1810</small>

Synonyms

• † Agapilia <small>Harzhauser & Kowalke, 2001</small> : synonym of Vitta <small>Mörch, 1852</small>
• Navicella <small>Lamarck, 1816</small>: synonym of Septaria <small>Férussac, 1807</small> (junior synonym)
• † Ninniopsis <small>Tomlin, 1930</small>: synonym of † Theodoxus (Ninniopsis) <small>Tomlin, 1930</small> represented as Theodoxus <small>Montfort, 1810</small> (original rank)
• Orthopoma <small>Gray, 1868</small>: synonym of Septaria <small>Férussac, 1807</small>
• Orthopomatini <small>Gray, 1868</small>: synonym of Neritininae <small>Poey, 1852</small>
• Paranerita <small>Bourne, 1908</small>: synonym of Vittina <small>H. B. Baker, 1923</small> (Invalid: junior homonym of Paranerita <small>Hampson, 1901</small> [Lepidoptera])
• Pseudonerita <small>H. B. Baker, 1923</small>: synonym of Neripteron (Pseudonerita) <small>H. B. Baker, 1923</small> represented as Neripteron <small>Lesson, 1831</small>
• Serenia <small>Benson, 1856</small>: synonym of Neritona <small>Martens, 1869</small> (unavailable name: established in synonymy)
• Tanalia <small>Gray, 1847</small>: synonym of Neritona <small>Martens, 1869</small>
• Theodoxia <small>Bourguignat, 1877</small>: synonym of Theodoxus <small>Montfort, 1810</small> (Invalid: unjustified emendation of Theodoxus)
• Theodoxis <small>Montfort, 1810</small>: synonym of Theodoxus <small>Montfort, 1810</small> (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