An overview of the Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana)

The Vittina coromandeliana, also called Neritina coromandeliana, belongs to the family of the barn snails and comes from the genus Vittina. The snail is sometimes also known under the Latin names Neritina ziczac or Neritina natalensis .

It becomes about 2 centimeters long and can live 3 to 4 years old, sometimes even more. Its smooth and oval snail shell gives the impression that it only consists of one large spiral at the end. It covers the mollusc almost completely, so that it is very well protected against enemies. The snail shell also offers ideal protection against the strong currents that occur in the natural habitat.

The white to yellow lid, which is decorated with a red border, is striking. If necessary, the snail shell can even be closed. This is mostly brown to orange with black elongated stripes. However, the width of these longitudinal stripes can vary from animal to animal. So it can be that they are very narrow in one snail, but very wide in another. In some cases they are even jagged and therefore do not run smoothly. The body of the Vittina coromandeliana is dark, sometimes with white spots. The sole of the very muscular snail foot is gray.

Vittina coromandeliana, like all racing snails, has not yet been bred in captivity. The racing snails offered in stores are therefore all caught in the wild.

Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana): Quick Facts

Common name	Zebra racing snail
Latin name	Vittina coromandeliana
Other names	Neritina ziczac Neritina natalensis
Level of difficulty	Beginner
Family	Barnacles (Neritidae)
Origin	South East Asia
Life expectancy	up to 4 years
Size	up to 3 cm
Gender differences	unknown
Social behavior	unknown
Breed	not possible in fresh water
Pelvic area	whole pool
minimum aquarium size	12 liters (30x20x20 cm)
Food	Growth and algae
Water temperature	20-30 ° C
PH value	6.5-8.0
Total hardness (GH)	up to 20 ° dH
Carbonate hardness (KH)	up to 12 ° dH

Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana): Occurrence and habitat

The Vittina coromandeliana occurs in the wild mainly in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand, Sumatra, Malaysia and Indonesia. She likes fast flowing bodies of water in which there is always sufficient water movement. The Vittina coromandeliana  can also be found very often in the so-called intertidal zone and the adjoining fresh waters. The water should have a pH value of 6.5 – 8 so that the snail can live ideally.

Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana): Attitude and care

The Vittina coromandeliana has a very massive snail shell and therefore needs hard water. If it is kept in a soft water aquarium, the snail shell can become brittle. In nature, she feels particularly comfortable in warm regions (22 ° C to 27 ° C). The tropics mainly breathe with their gills. The water in the aquarium should therefore be unpolluted and, above all, rich in oxygen. Some algae or sludge wedges can be very useful in which the animals can look for their food. The Vittina coromandeliana is usually an uncomplicated aquarium dweller.

It can be socialized with almost all other peaceful creatures, such as shrimp, guppies or neons. Actually, they are very friendly to all other roommates and therefore also harmless. Because most of the time they are busy finding food. However, they should not be placed in a tank where there are snail-eaters such as cichlids, predatory snails, or very large loaches.

Racing snails have a reputation for leaving the pool and looking for freedom. Unfortunately, this urge for freedom usually doesn’t end well. In open aquariums, a pane should therefore prevent the escape attempt.

Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana): Food and feeding

Vittina coromandeliana are very hardworking and always looking for food. They mainly eat algae and growth. There have also been reports that the snail eats fruit, vegetables, and aquarium food, but they primarily eat offspring. In some of the newly established basins there is not enough growth so that the snails can starve to death. 

This is also one of the reasons why so many dead racing snails can be found in the sparsely furnished sales tanks in aquarium shops and departments. These are weakened after the long journey from their home and then starve to death because they do not accept other food.

If there is insufficient growth on panes and plants in a tank, self-made algae stones can be given for feeding. To do this, a paste made of spirulina is mixed and applied to a stone. This is then left to dry and placed in the basin. As a rule, racing snails then graze these stones.

Vittina coromandeliana (Neritina coromandeliana): Propagation and breeding

So far, no breeding of Vittina coromandeliana s has been successful in the aquarium. The reason is that the offspring still move into seawater or brackish water in the larval stage and grow up there. There the larvae develop step by step into the small snails. Here they are on their way back to the intertidal zone and the adjacent rivers.

Vittina coromandeliana are separate sexes. And although reproduction does not work in a pure freshwater aquarium, the female lays numerous small white eggs on furnishings, discs and other snails. However, these disappear after a while.