Lopha (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Genus of bivalves

_Lopha_Temporal range: Triassic - Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil Lopha sp. from Upper Cretaceous, France
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Ostreida
Family: Ostreidae
Subfamily: Ostreinae
Genus: LophaRöding, 1798
Synonyms
Alectryonia Fischer von Waldheim, 1807

Lopha is a genus of marine bivalve molluscs in the family of Ostreidae.

The genus Lopha is present from the Triassic period in the Lower Norian age (216.5 ± 2.0 – 203.6 ± 1.5 Mya) to the recent age.

Lopha species have thick, strongly ribbed shells with unequal valves. The margins of the valves have a characteristic zig-zag pattern. The lower valve shows finger-like outgrowths, by which the molluscs adhere to the substrate. These molluscs are stationary, epifaunal, suspension feeders, as they feed by filtering sea water to extract the nutrients.