Family: Neritidae
Black Helmet Nerite — a larger dark-shelled algae cleaner. Shell reaches 3–4 cm; keep at 22–26 °C in medium-hard water.
Neritina pulligera is a Neritidae freshwater snail, the Black Helmet Nerite — a larger, darker algae cleaner with a smooth helmet shell. In the aquarium it stays a tireless, peaceful grazer. Plan on a 3–4 cm shell at 22–26 °C in medium-hard alkaline water; like all nerites it cannot reproduce in freshwater.
Difficulty: easy. Peaceful — completely plant-safe. Keep singly or in a small group.
Aim for 22–26 °C. Stable 22–26 °C; hard water keeps the shell glossy; 22–26 °C stable range.
Expect 3–4 cm as an adult, living bottom — scraping glass and hardscape. A 30 L tank or larger gives it room.
Grazing algae eater; handles diatoms and green algae. Vary the menu — quality flakes or pellets plus frozen or live foods.
Peaceful — completely plant-safe. Recommended tankmates: Any peaceful fish and shrimp — A universal cleanup companion, Zebra nerites — Different look, same job. Avoid Loaches and pufferfish — Specialist snail predators, Copper-based medications — Lethal to all invertebrates.
Native to Indo-Pacific — from India to the Philippines, where it lives in rivers and estuaries on firm surfaces. Still to gentle current; Moderate oxygen.
In the aquarium: requires brackish water to reproduce — will not overrun freshwater tanks. No practical external difference.