Biology:Nerita polita

Short description: Species of gastropod

Nerita polita
Five views of a shell of Nerita polita
Close-up of a shell of Nerita polita rumphii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Neritimorpha clade Cycloneritimorpha
Superfamily:	Neritoidea
Family:	Neritidae
Genus:	Nerita
Species:	N. polita
Binomial name
Nerita polita Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Nerita (Linnerita) polita Linnaeus, 1758· accepted, alternate representation Nerita arriaca Röding, 1798 Nerita bidens Linnaeus, 1758 Nerita bifasciata Gmelin, 1791 Nerita flava Mörch, 1852 Nerita flavescens Dillwyn, 1817 Nerita hieroglyphica Dillwyn, 1817 Nerita larva Gmelin, 1791 Nerita lineolata Gray, 1858 Nerita opaca Röding, 1798 Nerita picta Humphrey, 1797 (unavailable name: published in a work placed on the Official Index)

Nerita polita is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae.

The subspecies Nerita polita rumphii Récluz, 1841: synonym of Nerita litterata Gmelin, 1791

Description

Nerita polita has a distinctively smooth and polished shell that is up to 4 cm in size. It has a smooth columella with 2–4 weak teeth on the edge. The color is variable: mottled grey, red or cream, sometimes with axial bands. The operculum is smooth, and is cream to black in color.

Distribution

The distribution of Nerita polita is summarized as Indo-Pacific (Richmond, 1997); and as tropical Indo-Pacific in Kalk (1958).

Distribution of Nerita polita include:

• Aldabra
• Chagos
• East Coast of South Africa
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mascarene Basin
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Red Sea
• Tanzania

Ecology

The habitat of Nerita polita includes wet fine sandy shore and the littoral fringe of rocky shores.

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-SA-3.0 text from the reference.

• Chambers, M. R. (1980). Zonation, abundance and biomass of gastropods from two Hong Kong Rocky. In: Morton B, editor. Proceedings of the first International workshop on the malacofaunal of Hong Kong and Southern China. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong. 139-148
• Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp
• Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector's Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp.
• Fowler, O. (2016). Seashells of the Kenya coast. ConchBooks: Harxheim. Pp. 1–170
• Jarrett, A.G. (2000) Marine Shells of the Seychelles. Carole Green Publishing, Cambridge, xiv + 149 pp. NIZT 682

External links

• Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata [10th revised edition], vol. 1: 824 pp. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae.
• Mörch, O. A. L. (1852–1853). Catalogus conchyliorum quae reliquit D. Alphonso d'Aguirra & Gadea Comes de Yoldi, Regis Daniae Cubiculariorum Princeps, Ordinis Dannebrogici in Prima Classe & Ordinis Caroli Tertii Eques. Fasc. 1, Cephalophora, 170 pp. [1852]; Fasc. 2, Acephala, Annulata, Cirripedia, Echinodermata, 74 [+2] pp. [1853]. Hafniae
• Röding, P.F. (1798). Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturæ quæ olim collegerat Joa. Fried Bolten, M. D. p. d. per XL. annos proto physicus Hamburgensis. Pars secunda continens Conchylia sive Testacea univalvia, bivalvia & multivalvia. Trapp, Hamburg. viii, 199 pp
• Gmelin J.F. (1791). Vermes. In: Gmelin J.F. (Ed.) Caroli a Linnaei Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Ed. 13. Tome 1(6). G.E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910
• Issel, A. (1865). Catalogo dei molluschi raccolti dalla missione italiana in Persia aggiuntavi la descrizione delle specie nuove o poco note. Stamperia Reale, Torino, 55 pp

Wikidata ☰ Q6791389 entry