Origin
Native to coastal and estuarine habitats across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America—often found in mangrove systems and tidal zones.

Visual & Functional Appeal
Comes in multiple shell patterns—zebra stripes, tiger spots, olive ridges. Stays small (up to 1 inch), yet offers high aesthetic value while constantly grazing on surfaces.

Purpose
Algae control. Efficiently consumes soft algae, diatoms, and biofilm from glass, rocks, plants, and driftwood without damaging delicate leaves.

Importance
Ideal cleanup crew member. Doesn’t reproduce in freshwater, making it a mess-free option that controls algae naturally. Also helps prevent detritus buildup in hard-to-reach spots.

Included Resources
No special substrate needed. Requires a tight-fitting lid (may escape). Needs calcium-rich water or supplementation for shell health. Performs best in clean, cycled tanks.

Best Use Cases
Excellent for aquascaped tanks, nano cubes, shrimp tanks, and community aquariums. A must-have in algae-prone setups or beginner tanks where balance is still maturing.

Conservation Context
Widespread and sustainable. Most Nerites sold in the trade are farm-raised or harvested from non-threatened populations in brackish zones.

Ideal Aquatic Animals
• Shrimp colonies
• Peaceful community fish (rasboras, tetras)
• Bettas
• Snail-safe cichlids (Apistogramma)
• Other invertebrates (clams, filter feeders)

Region (A)
• Latitude: 0.3476° N
• Longitude: 32.5825° E
(Lake Victoria basin, Uganda — African Nerite species)

Region (B)
• Latitude: 9.7489° N
• Longitude: -83.7534° W
(Caribbean estuaries, Costa Rica — Central American Nerites)