Nerita albicilla

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Nerita albicilla, commonly called the blotched nerite, is a sea snail in the Neritidae family. It lives in the tropical Indo-Pacific and can grow up to about 4 cm long. The shell is smooth or has light transverse ridges, with small bumps and four weak teeth on the columella (the inner lip). Its outer shell color is a mix of black and white, sometimes with three clear bands. The inside of the shell is white, and the operculum (the little door) is pinkish-grey and grainy.

Habitat and range:
It is found on rocky cliffs, on rocks at the shoreline, in the littoral zone, and occasionally on mangrove trees.

Fossils:
Fossils of this species have been found in Pleistocene deposits in Djibouti.

Taxonomy (short):
Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Mollusca; Class: Gastropoda; Order: Cycloneritida; Family: Neritidae; Genus: Nerita; Species: Nerita albicilla. Binomial name: Nerita albicilla Linnaeus, 1758.