Lopha

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)