Nerita melanotragus | |
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A shell of Nerita melanotragus | |
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Species: | N. melanotragus |
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Nerita melanotragus E. A. Smith, 1884 | |
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, however Nerita atramentosa and Nerita melanotragus are now recognised as separate species (the two have often been considered to be the same species). [1]
This nerite is endemic to the southern Pacific, including the south-eastern coast of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, northern New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands. [2]
This species is commonly found on intertidal rocks, particularly in the mid to upper intertidal zone. It prefers to attach to sloped or vertical rock surfaces, or hang from the underside of rocks. This may be a method of thermoregulation, because if N. atramentosa is on a horizontal surface, it would absorb the maximum solar radiation, whereas on sloped or vertical surfaces it absorbs less energy (and thus heat).
The shell is of moderate size, very solid, globose-oval, and smooth except for weak shallowly incised spiral lines. The external shell colour is black, but the aperture is white, except for a narrow black border. Once shells get over about 26mm they start to wear down and typically have knotched sides and a white wear on the right hand side of the shell.
The operculum is granular, pinkish-lilac, with two spiral bands of black.
The shell height is up to 30 mm, and width 32 mm.
An almost complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA of this species was analyzed by Castro & Colgan (2010). [3]
Nerita atramentosa, common name the black nerite, is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae, the nerites.
Diloma aethiops, whose common names include scorched monodont, spotted black topshell, and in the Māori language pūpū, pūpū-mai, or māihi is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, subfamily Monodontinae.
Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized saltwater and freshwater snails which have a gill and a distinctive operculum.
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.
Nerita tessellata, sometimes known as the checkered nerite, is a species of tropical sea snail with a gill and an operculum, a nerite, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae, the nerites.
Vetigastropoda is a major taxonomic group of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks that form a very ancient lineage. Taxonomically the Vetigastropoda are sometimes treated as an order, although they are treated as an unranked clade in Bouchet and Rocroi, 2005.
Neritimorpha is a taxonomic grouping, an unranked major clade of snails, gastropod mollusks. This grouping includes land snails, sea snails, slugs, some deepwater limpets, and also freshwater snails. Neritimorpha contains around 2,000 extant species. Some Neritimorphs are commonly kept as pets. This clade used to be known as the superorder Neritopsina.
Nerita plicata is a species of tropical sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae, the nerites. This species is found throughout the Indo-West Pacific.
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 in the northern Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean.
Monodonta labio, common name the toothed top shell or the lipped periwinkle, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Nerita chamaeleon is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae.
Nerita peloronta, common name the "bleeding tooth", is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae.
Nerita textilis, common name the textile nerite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae.
Phorcus atratus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Phorcus lineatus, common name the lined top shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. It is native to shores of the eastern North Atlantic Ocean.
Phorcus punctulatus, common name the punctate monodont, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Phorcus sauciatus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. It is native to the Eastern North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula.
Trochus kotschyi, common name the Kotschy's gibbula, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Trochinae of the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Laonidae is a family of small marine snails belonging to the superfamily Philinoidea, though Laonidae and Philinoidea are genetically distinct. They are monophyletic, meaning they are developed from a single ancestor. Laonidae also has the synonymised name Laoninae, which is largely unaccepted in the modern day scientific community. The name Laoninae is introduced by Alice Pruvot-Fol who proposes it as the subfamily to the genea Loana, A.Adams 1865.
Nerita Picea, also called Black Nerite or Pipipi in Hawaiian, is a species of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Neritidae commonly found in clusters on the high part of the intertidal zone. This species is found all through out the Hawaiian coastline and is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. In Hawai‘i black nerite are enjoyed as a snack when boiled.