 |
Home > Invertebrates
> Shells > Nerites
Updated 5/19/2026
Family Neritidae
Nerites
| These herbivorous snails inhabit streams, rocky shores, or seagrass
beds. They
have an enlarged body whorl and a calcareous operculum that tightly
seals the aperture. Larger species are eaten and attractive shells
are used for jewelry. Great variability in coloration, in
combination with limited larval duration is responsible for a great number
of described species, making identification difficult without reliable
location data. Hawaii has several endemic species. |
HAWAII - ENDEMIC
Nerita picea
COMMON NERITE PIPIPI
|
Neripteron
neglectum
SPECKLED NERITE PIPIPI
|
|
Neripteron vespertinum
HAPAWAI |
Neripteron cariosum
PIPIWAI
|
|
Neritona
granosa
HIHIWAI
|
Smaragdia bryanae
BRYAN'S SEAGRASS NERITE
|
|
|
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
| Nerita
polita
POLISHED NERITE
KŪPE‘E
|
Nerita plicata
PLEATED NERITE
|
|
Smaragdia tragena
CHECKERED SEAGRASS NERITE
|
|
|
|
INDO-PACIFIC
| Nerita
semirugosa
NERITE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
