- Description
- The slender, brown-colored shells in the Potamididae family show an anterior notch near the top of the aperture, a feature shared in common with shells in the Cerithiidae family. However, the Potamididae shells have a less strongly developed anterior notch and a thin, horny operculum with many rather than fewer whorls. Like the Cerithiidae, the Potamididae, and Batillaridae molluscs are major dwellers in muddy fresh or brackish water. The Batilariidae differ from the Potanididae mainly in sperm structure. Shells generally range from 1 cm to 4 cm or more in length, considerably larger than most of the Cerithidae. The snails of the Cerithioidea superfamily generally have a tropical distribution.
- Pyrazus ebeninus, is closely related and also lives in muddy waters and shares similar characteristics (see also, Photo Gallery, below). Like snails in the Pulmonata subclass, it has also lost its gill.
- Classification
- Class: Gastropoda
- Clade: Sorbeconcha
- Superfamily: Cerithioidea
- Family: Cerithiidae
- Family: Potamididae Family: Battilariidae
- Family: Pachychilidae
- Family: Thiaridae
- Major Genera
- Genus: Battilaria
- Genus: Cerithide
- Genus: Faunus
- Genus: Pirenella
- Genus: Telescopium
- Genus: Terebralia
- Genus: Rhinocoryne
Batillaria zonalis (Burguière, 1792)
Zoned Cerith
Family: Batillariidae
Batillaria minima (Gmelin, 1791)
False Caribbean Cerith, 2.1 cm
Faunus ater (Born, 1778)Black Faun
Family: Thiaridae
SEE OTHER CERITHS:
| Cerithioidea Photo Gallery |