Yellow-banded Nerite Shell, Theodoxus luteofasciatus

Yellow-banded Nerite Shell Theodoxus luteofasciatus. Size: 1.0 cm (0.4 inches) x 0.9 cm (0.3 inches). Shell collected off the beach of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Yellow-banded Nerite, Theodoxus luteofasciatus (Miller, 1879), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Neritidae Family of Nerites. The shell is small, shiney that has a round profile, a low spire and a large semi-circular aperture that has a slightly toothed inner lip. The exterior of the shell is striped, spotted or blotched with yellow, blue, gray, or orange; the interior is white; the area adjacent to the inner lip is brown to golden chestnut. The Yellow-banded Nerite reach a maximum of 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) and 1.1 cm (0.4 inches).

Yellow-banded Nerites are found on rocks, mudflats, and mangroves in the intertidal zone. They range from Punta Pequena, Baja California Sur to Peru. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Neritina luteofasciata and Neritina picta.