Encyclopaedia

InvertebrateFreshwaterBrackishIntermediate

Olive nerite snail

Vitta usnea

The Olive Nerite Snail is a hardy, highly adaptable aquatic gastropod. It is an excellent consumer of nuisance algae and thrives in both fresh and brackish water.

Taxonomy

Class:Gastropoda

Order:Cycloneritida

Family:Neritidae

Genus:Vitta

Species:Vitta usnea

Formerly known as:Neritina reclivata

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Water Temperature

20 - 28 °C

pH Value

7 - 8.4

Water type

Freshwater / Brackish

Invertebrate type

Freshwater snail

Adult size

2.5 cm

Minimum group

>= 1

6 - 20 dGH

3 - 15 dKH

TDS

120 - 450 ppm

Ecological role

Scavenger

Copper sensitivity

High

Species description

Geographical Origin and Habitat: The Olive Nerite Snail (Neritina reclivata) is an incredibly hardy, highly adaptable aquatic gastropod natively endemic to the massive coastal ecosystems of the Americas. Their vast natural range spans from the southern United States (Florida, Gulf of Mexico), through the Caribbean Islands, down to the brackish estuaries of northern South America. Their natural biotope is defined by extreme, fluctuating environments: muddy tidal marshes, hypersaline lagoons, and the brackish mouths of major rivers where they cling to submerged vegetation and rocks.

Taxonomy: Scientifically classified within the Neritidae family, they are a medium-sized, heavily armored snail. Fully mature adults generally reach 2.0 to 2.5 centimeters (0.8-1.0 inches) in diameter. In stark contrast to the wildly patterned Zebra or Red Racer Nerites, the Olive Nerite possesses a remarkably smooth, rounded, and relatively uniform calcium-carbonate shell. They feature a massive, muscular foot allowing them to grip surfaces with extreme power, preventing them from being swept away by violent ocean tides or fast river currents.

Social Behavior: They are entirely peaceful, fiercely industrious, and strictly utilitarian scavengers. They possess absolutely zero aggression and ignore all other tank mates. Their entire existence revolves around an endless, methodical patrol of the aquarium glass, large rocks, and hard plant leaves, relentlessly vacuuming up microscopic green spot algae, diatoms, and biofilm. Like all Nerites, they possess a strong instinct to climb and will frequently be found resting just at or slightly above the aquarium's waterline.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Sexual dimorphism is visually non-existent; while they are not hermaphroditic, males and females cannot be differentiated by the human eye. Their coloration is the source of their common name and provides excellent natural camouflage in murky swamps. The smooth, domed shell features a solid, deeply saturated olive-green, dark yellow-green, or brownish-green base. Upon extremely close inspection, the shell is often covered in hundreds of microscopic, faint, dark undulating vertical lines, though from a distance, they appear solid olive.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Tank Setup: The aquarium architecture MUST accommodate their absolute biological requirement for hard grazing surfaces and their instinctual climbing behavior. A minimum 20-liter (5-gallon) tank is sufficient. The tank MUST feature smooth rocks, glass surfaces, or broad-leaved plants for them to rasp.

CRITICAL WARNING: Their tidal instincts naturally drive them to climb out of the water. A perfectly sealed, tight-fitting lid is unconditionally mandatory, otherwise they will crawl out and desiccate to death on the floor.

Diet and Feeding: They are spectacular, heavy-duty herbivorous aufwuchs grazers and undisputed champions of eradicating stubborn Green Spot Algae (GSA) and brown diatoms. However, their voracious appetite means they WILL rapidly starve to death in immaculate, newly established tanks. Their diet MUST be heavily supplemented if visible algae is depleted. Regular offerings of premium sinking algae wafers, spirulina powder, and blanched vegetables (zucchini, cucumber) are unconditionally mandatory for their survival.

Water Quality: Originating from brackish coastal marshes, they possess a massive, uncompromising biological requirement for HARD water. While they can adapt to pure freshwater, they STRICTLY require hard, highly alkaline water (GH 8-20, pH 7.2 - 8.5) and warm tropical heat (22-28°C / 72-82°F). Keeping them in soft, acidic water (below pH 7.0) is absolutely fatal; the acidity will dissolve, pit, and erode their calcium-carbonate shells, leading to agonizing death. Flawless filtration is mandatory; they cannot tolerate Ammonia.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Compatibility is absolutely stellar due to their impenetrable armor and peaceful nature. They are the perfect cleanup crew for peaceful freshwater or brackish community tanks. They completely ignore all fish and dwarf shrimp. They MUST NEVER be housed with specialized snail-eating predators (like Pea Puffers, massive Loaches, or large Cichlids) that will crush their shells or rip them out of their armor. Excellent companions include Bettas, Tetras, Guppies, and peaceful bottom-dwellers.

Aquarium Breeding: This is a massive benefit for aquarists: Olive Nerites CANNOT reproduce in a freshwater aquarium. Females will continuously lay hundreds of tiny, hard, white eggs (resembling sesame seeds) scattered across driftwood, rocks, and even other snail shells. While these eggs can be visually annoying and are incredibly difficult to scrape off, they will NEVER hatch in freshwater. In the wild, their microscopic larvae MUST be washed out to the saltwater ocean to develop. They will never overrun a tank.

Risks and Diseases: The absolute greatest physical risk is agonizing death from shell degradation caused by keeping them in soft, acidic water; hard, alkaline water with high calcium is unconditionally mandatory. The second major risk is lethal starvation in clean tanks lacking algae; supplemental vegetable feeding is crucial. Finally, escaping is a massive risk; they will actively climb out of uncovered tanks and dry out on the floor.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Olive Nerite Snail (Neritina reclivata) is an incredibly hardy, highly adaptable aquatic gastropod natively endemic to the massive coastal ecosystems of the Americas. Their vast natural range spans from the southern United States (Florida, Gulf of Mexico), through the Caribbean Islands, down to the brackish estuaries of northern South America. Their natural biotope is defined by extreme, fluctuating environments: muddy tidal marshes, hypersaline lagoons, and the brackish mouths of major rivers where they cling to submerged vegetation and rocks.

Origin

Extra-Amazon South AmericaCentral America and CaribbeanNorth AmericaEurope, Mediterranean, and West Asia

Invertebrate profile

Diet: Biofilm grazer
Ecological role: Scavenger
Shock sensitivity: High
Calcium and minerals: High
Molting: Shell growth
Reproduction: Oviparous
Compatibility & tankmates: Peaceful

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

Related species

Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.

Variants and close relatives

Same atlas type, nearby scientific identity, genus, or family.

Virgin nerite snail

Vitta virginea

Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Origin

Invertebrate profile

Image gallery

Related species

Variants and close relatives

Virgin nerite snail

Black helmet nerite

Diadem nerite snail

Freshwater limpet nerite

Red racer nerite snail

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Spiny nerite snail

Spotted nerite snail

Thick-lipped nerite snail

Tiger nerite snail

Violet nerite snail

Winged nerite snail

Horned Nerite Snail

Zebra Nerite Snail

Zebra Nerite Snail

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