Vittina waigiensis

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

Vittina waigiensis, commonly known as the red racer nerite or the gold racer nerite, is a species of a freshwater, brackish water, or marine snail native to the Philippines and Indonesia (Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands). It belongs to the family Neritidae. Red racer nerites have colorful shells that display extremely variable patterns, which makes them popular in the aquarium trade. They are also known as zebra nerites, along with other species of nerite snails with similar shell patterns.^[3]

Vittina waigiensis
Vittina waigiensis from the Philippines
Variability of the shell patterns of Vittina waigiensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Neritimorpha
Order:	Cycloneritida
Family:	Neritidae
Genus:	Vittina
Species:	V. waigiensis
Binomial name
Vittina waigiensis (Lesson, 1831)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Neritina waigiensis Lesson, 1831

Description

Red racer nerites are small snails that only grow to a maximum diameter of 3 cm (1.2 in). They have shells that have highly variable patterns in red, orange, yellow, black, and white. The patterns often form bands of repeating "arrows" resembling racing stripes, which is the source of their common name "racer." Red racer snails are amphibious and occasionally venture above the waterline. They can tolerate freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater habitats. They are usually found in bodies of water with dense vegetation in coastal areas, like mangrove forests and river deltas. They primarily eat algae and biofilm. They lay eggs in clutches of 50 to 100 eggs. Their planktonic larvae can only survive in brackish water. They are relatively long-lived, with a lifespan usually reaching 4 years. These characteristics and their colorful shells make them popular in the aquarium trade.^[4][5][6]

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  Vittina waigiensis in comparison to a human hand
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  Apertural view of a shell of Vittina waigiensis. Scale bar is 10 mm (0.39 in).
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  Abapertural view of a shell of Vittina waigiensis. Scale bar is 10 mm (0.39 in).
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  Vittina waigiensis shells and opercula
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  Vittina waigiensis feeding on algae

Human use

Vittina waigiensis is a part of ornamental pet trade for freshwater aquaria.^[7]