Lobbaidae

Lobbaidae is a family of marine gastropod molluscs, commonly known as lobed snails. The family comprises several genera of small to medium-sized sea snails that are distinguished by shell features such as lobed or flared shoulders and a relatively narrow aperture. Shells are typically sculptured with fine spiral lines and may display mottled or camouflaged coloration suited to living among seagrass, algae, or coral rubble.

Genera in Lobbaidae include Lobbaea and Lobballia, among others described in modern and fossil records. Species within the family are found in temperate and tropical marine coastal waters worldwide, with higher diversity in reef-associated and seagrass habitats. They are benthic, inhabiting the substrate or just above it, where they feed and reproduce.

Ecology and biology within Lobbaidae are generally oriented around micrograzing and detritivory. Most species feed on algae, biofilm, and organic detritus, contributing to the turnover of microhabitats on the seafloor. Reproductive strategies vary, but several species exhibit direct development, with juveniles hatching as miniature adults either from brooded eggs or from shelled egg masses. Predation by small fishes and invertebrates, along with environmental factors such as substrate type and water quality, influences their distribution and shell morphology.

Fossil evidence for Lobbaidae extends from the Paleogene to the Neogene, indicating a long-standing lineage with several lineages that have since gone extinct. The taxonomic placement of the family has been refined over time as molluscan systematics advance, and future phylogenetic work may further alter its circumscription. The name derives from lobus, Latin for "lobe," reflecting the characteristic shell lobes.