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Vitta virginea

Species of gastropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vitta virginea
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Vitta virginea, the virgin nerite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae.[3]

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Distribution

This species is widespread from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, West Indies, Greater and Lesser Antilles, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Central America (Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica), Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, Colombia, Mexico, Texas and Florida.[2][4][5]

Habitat

Vitta virginea can withstand large changes in salinity and therefore may live in freshwaters, in marine and in brackish waters. These sea snails occur in rivers and streams, in estuaries and in the sea, on sand, silt and stones, brackish ponds and mangroves.[2][6]

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A shell of Vitta virginea from Barbados, on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano

Description

Shells of Vitta virginea can reach an average size of 6–25 millimetres (0.24–0.98 in).[4] These colorful grass-flat snails show extremely variable pattern and color. They are semiglobular, with 3 or 4 whorls. The aperture is oval, with thin lips. Operculum is usually black. The polished shell surface may be black, grey or white, yellowish, olive, red and purple, with various stripes or waves, spots and lines.[7][8]

Biology

They are herbivorous (algae) and diadromous. They are involved in massive upstream migrations.[2][9]

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Shells of Vitta virginea

References

Bibliography

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