Coral Slang Names... Detrimental to the Hobby?
- Thread starter Charlie97L
- Start date
ghostwolf
Active Member
I personally do not look at the slang names of the corals. What normally catches my eye is a photo of a coral even knowing that it may look different in our tank due to lighting, etc. To me, the slang name can be problem if the scientific genus/species is not given as I need that to research if it is something I can put into my tank, where it should go, and the day to day care/maintenance of the piece. Our tank is for our enjoyment and relaxation, not to brag that we have a rare "so and so". I get just as excited over a $5.oo frag going in the tank as I do a more expensive frag.
Lin
Lin
BoomerD
Well-Known Member
goldenmean said:
That's true enough. The problem comes in when you add "common or slang" names to a particular species. How confusing would it become, if a Dalmatian was known in some parts of the world, as the black-spot terrier (yeah, I know...it's NOT a terrier, but just to make a point) or a spotter in other places. Same with corals and fish. What is known as a Pagoda coral to some, is a cup coral to others, and Turban coral to yet other people. Many fish have common names that vary from region to region, or country to country. Using the actual latin name is the only way to keep an accurate naming of the species.
Unfortunately, I'm one of the people who horribly mangle most of the latin names, but I try when I can. True, there are some fish that are almost universally called by the same common name, but way too many others have more than one...potentially causing confusion, especially when the common name can be used for more than one species...
mps9506
Well-Known Member
BoomerD said:
I agree with this to a point. As someone who orders fish and corals off lists sent to me by fax and email every week I have become pretty used to most common names for corals.
However some corals are really pretty difficult to distinguish on a species level. I have some wholesalers and most of my transhippers sell acros by species name. I have found that the species name they assign doesn't mean diddly squat. How many people can seriously tell the difference between an A. soli and efflo?
Instead of flipping through Veron's corals of the world I find it easier to sell them as green with blue tip table acro. Better than me selling it as a soli when it is really an efflo or vice versa. the same can go for most of the other acro species and some of the massive and encrusting monti species.
I think more and more people who are setting up reef tanks just want the beauty and are not to interested in the sci. name of the particular coral. This is going fo the fish too. I must admit, when i buy a coral i don't go asking what the latin name is when i buy it. I like to come home and search it on the web after the fact. and even then i call it by the common name. It's just easier to tell the visitors in my home the common name. My 8 year old daughter dose know a few latain names from the old lfs owner in NY. He knows all the names after 35+ years of study. And found an interest in teaching my kid every time we bought a coral. This was cool to me because it built her vocabulary. For me, I just wanted the coral 
what is the discussion about here?
- is it, the nomenclature controversy between using common names and scientific for identification?
-or, the 'marketable naming' of coral by online vendors affecting or not affecting responsible reefkeeping?
two different debates, I think.
I don't see ANYTHING wrong with an online vendor naming his coral or frag something 'catchy'. They are in the business to make money. That does not make them bad people. They are selling rare, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Most of the bigger named vendors who specialize in collectors pieces are knowedgable, helpful people. They attempt thier best at providing their own 'twist' to a common name, and also the scientific name. And the majority of them provide care guidelines. How is that irresponsible?
And those of us who love to collect that 'rare' coral, that just means we are obsessed not after an animal to treat it like a 'replacable bauble'
on the contrary, I find that these mad reefers have the most insane setups. After all, they generally have more money invested in corals than the average aquarist. If you are going to spend $100 on a 1 inch frag I'm willing to bet you are not going to do your best to keep it alive.
on the other hand, i agree wholeheartedly about calling something 'rare' when it is not. or charging waaaaaaaaay to much for something. i think that's why its always best to research EVERYTHING before you buy it, though. For the animals sake and your pocketbook's.
'scuse the spelling BTW
- is it, the nomenclature controversy between using common names and scientific for identification?
-or, the 'marketable naming' of coral by online vendors affecting or not affecting responsible reefkeeping?
two different debates, I think.
I don't see ANYTHING wrong with an online vendor naming his coral or frag something 'catchy'. They are in the business to make money. That does not make them bad people. They are selling rare, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Most of the bigger named vendors who specialize in collectors pieces are knowedgable, helpful people. They attempt thier best at providing their own 'twist' to a common name, and also the scientific name. And the majority of them provide care guidelines. How is that irresponsible?
And those of us who love to collect that 'rare' coral, that just means we are obsessed
not after an animal to treat it like a 'replacable bauble' on the contrary, I find that these mad reefers have the most insane setups. After all, they generally have more money invested in corals than the average aquarist. If you are going to spend $100 on a 1 inch frag I'm willing to bet you are not going to do your best to keep it alive.
on the other hand, i agree wholeheartedly about calling something 'rare' when it is not. or charging waaaaaaaaay to much for something. i think that's why its always best to research EVERYTHING before you buy it, though. For the animals sake and your pocketbook's.
'scuse the spelling BTW