Biology:Vitta zebra
| Vitta zebra | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Neritimorpha |
| Order: | Cycloneritida |
| Family: | Neritidae |
| Genus: | Vitta |
| Species: | V. zebra
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| Binomial name | |
| Vitta zebra (Bruguière, 1792)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Vitta zebra, commonly known as the zebra nerite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae, the nerites.[2]
Description
Vitta zebra have globular shells with a length of around 25 mm (0.98 in). Their coloration are highly variable, from dark brown to yellow with straight, curved, or zigzagging black lines. The stripes vary from thin to wide, and can sometimes be absent or interspersed with white stripes between black. Body coloration is commonly dark brown with transverse black stripes and spots.[1]
Distribution
Vitta zebra is native to northeastern coastline of South America and nearby islands in the Caribbean, including French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and parts of Brazil (mouth of the Amazon River) and Venezuela (mouth of the Orinoco River).[1][3]
In the aquarium
The zebra nerite snail is frequently sold in the aquarium hobby. These specimens are typically wild caught, since the snail is difficult to breed in captivity.
This snail is typically sold as an algae eater as it will constantly scrape the glass, hardscape and substrate of the aquarium for algae with its rasping mouth. They are capable of surviving in fresh water, though they require a high PH. A low enough PH will slowly destroy the snail's shell. Also, if an aquarium does not have enough algae, it may be difficult to get them to eat pellet food and they may starve.
Like most nerite snails, it can and often will simply crawl up the glass of an aquarium and leave it, and so a lid is needed to house them.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Barroso, Cristiane Xerez; Matthews-Cascon, Helena; Simone, Luiz Ricardo L. (2012). "Anatomy of Neritina zebra from Guyana and Brazil (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neritidae". Journal of Conchology 41 (1): 49-64.
- ↑ {MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Vitta zebra (Bruguière, 1792). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1366118 on 2021-09-27
- ↑ Petuch, Edward J.; Berschauer, David P. (2020). Tropical Marine Mollusks An Illustrated Biogeographical Guide. CRC Press. ISBN 9781000285420.
- Eichhorst T.E. (2016). Neritidae of the world. Volume 2. Harxheim: Conchbooks. pp. 696–1366
External links
Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry
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