Biology:Lopha

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Short description: Genus of bivalves

Lopha
Temporal range: Triassic - Recent
Bivalvia - Lopha sp.JPG
Fossil Lopha sp. from Upper Cretaceous, France
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Ostreida
Family: Ostreidae
Genus: Lopha
Röding, 1798
Synonyms
  • Alectryonia Fischer von Waldheim, 1807

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

Description

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.

Species

  • Lopha affinis Sowerby, 1871
  • Lopha capsa Fischer von Waldheim, 1808
  • Lopha chemnitzii Hanley, 1846
  • Lopha cristagalli C. Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lopha frons C. Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lopha imbricata J. B. Lamarck, 1819
  • Lopha rosacea G. P. Deshayes, 1836

Fossil species

  • Lopha gregarea, Oxfordian (stage) (160 mya)
  • Lopha marshii (Sowerby, 1914), Bajocian (170 mya)

Gallery

References

Wikidata ☰ Q3017771 entry