- 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 Battillaridae molluscs are major dwellers in muddy fresh or brackish water. The Battilariidae 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 is an air-breather which has 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
Battillaria zonalis (Burguière, 1792)
Zoned Cerith
Battillaria minima (Gmelin, 1791)
False Caribbean Cerith, 2.1 cm
Family: Batillariidae
Faunus ater (Born, 1778)Black Faun
Family: Thiaridae
SEE OTHER CERITHS:
| Cerithioidea (Ceriths) Photo Gallery |