Nerites inhabit marine, brackish, freshwater, and arboreal environments worldwide in tropical to temperate climes. "Neritidae of the World" is a two volume set of books that provides an in-depth examination of the almost 300 nerite species in the family Neritidae and a somewhat less exhaustive, but still extensive, look at species in six closely related families as well as a number of fossil species. Each Recent nerite species is described in depth and illustrated with one (sometimes two or three) full page color plates that show details of the shell and operculum as well as structural and color/pattern variations. Volume two covers covers the following genera of Neritidae: Neritina, Neritodryas, Neritona, Puperita, Septaria, Smaragdia, Theodoxus, Vitta, and Vittina. Also in volume two are the six related families, i.e.Helicinidae, Hydrocenidae, Neritiliidae, Neritopsidae, Phenacolepadidae, and Titiscaniidae. The volume also contains several appendices, including: valid Neritidae species, index of Neritidae species (for both volumes), glossary, bibliography, and errata. A number of new species are named and there are many species illustrated on color plates for the first time. Nerites are routinely misidentified by both dealers and collectors. This volume can help correct that situation. New taxa: Neritina janetabbasae n. sp., Neritodryas javanica n. sp., Septaria tahitiana n. sp., Smaragdia patburkeae n. sp., Theodoxus octagonus n. sp., Vitta consobrina n. sp.

I was born in 1947 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. My interest in natural history was evident at an early age and I had a bedroom full of animal cages with various snakes, birds, lizards, and squirrels; aquariums with fish, turtles, and salamanders; and jars with various insects and arthropods. I started my first shell collection at age seven - a tough accomplishment in a landlocked state, especially in the 1950s. My middle school and high school years were pretty much equally divided between life with my parents in town and life with my grandparents on a farm where they raised and raced thoroughbreds. I met my future wife, Donnie, when we were both attending the same high school. We were married in 1968 while attending college at the University of New Mexico. After graduation, I was commissioned into the United States Air Force and trained as a pilot. Shell collecting took a back seat to Air Force duties for the next 25 years, but my shell collection slowly grew. After retirement from the USAF in 1994, we retuned to New Mexico, this time moving to Rio Rancho, just northwest of Albuquerque. With more time to devote to shells, my shell cabinet became a shell room and then spilled over into the garage. My wife and I have two daughters, the oldest a biology professor at the University of New Mexico and the youngest a Lt. Colonel in the USAF. We also have two very active grandchildren. I collect pretty much any shelled mollusk. I am actually quite aware of the benefit of specializing in either an area or a given genus or family, but while I may become distracted by a particular group of shells for a while, I soon see something else that sparks my interest.