Puperita pupa

For other species of nerites also known as "zebra nerite", see Zebra nerite.

Puperita pupa, commonly known as zebra nerite, is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Neritidae, the nerites.^[1][2]

Puperita pupa
Puperita pupa: A. ventral view, B. dorsal view; C. Operculum external view; D. Operculum internal view. E. detail of the color standard.
Four Shells of Puperita pupa showing color variation, one showing the ventral side and on the lower left, an operculum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Neritimorpha
Order:	Cycloneritida
Family:	Neritidae
Genus:	Puperita
Species:	P. pupa
Binomial name
Puperita pupa (Linnaeus, 1767)

Description

The shell is thin but strong, globular, not presenting a prominent spire. There are 2 to 3 whorls, the outer lip is thin and sharp, the columellar area is polished and has a broad wall. The largest known specimens reach 10.6 mm. Th shell coloration is variable but is characterized by axial bands of black and white like a zebra. The opening is gray with an ocher-colored parietal callus area, and the operculum is bright yellow ^[3][4]

Distribution

Puperita pupa is a nerite that is widely distributed in the area of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

• Caribbean Sea^[1]
• Cayman Islands^[1]
• Colombia^[1]
• Costa Rica^[1]
• Cuba^[1]
• Gulf of Mexico^[1]
• Hispaniola^[1]
• Jamaica^[1]
• Lesser Antilles^[1]
• Mexico^[1]
• San Andres^[1]
• Venezuela^[5]

This species occurs in brackish water on the West Indian island of Dominica.^[6]