Shape-shifting in corals

[Boomer]

Shape-shifting in corals makes identification almost impossible for all.
Just when you thought it was possible to ID species of sps corals apart, as many led you to believe or think that they can or you think you can, along comes some smart-ass, that has his terds all wrapped up in a neat little ball, that tells you, you are talking out of your butt end and are really clueless most of the time, which I have always believed in.

Shape-shifting corals: Molecular markers show morphology is evolutionarily plastic in Porites
Zac H Forsman, Daniel J Barshis, Cynthia L Hunter, Robert J Toonen
BMC Evolutionary Biology 2009, 9:45 (24 February 2009)

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2148-9-45.pdf



Zac is very proud of this accomplishment and here is more in the News

Shape-shifting Coral Evade Identification

Shape-shifting coral evade identification

Shape-shifting coral evade identification | Eureka! Science News

Science Centric | News | Shape-shifting coral evade identification

Shape-shifting corals: Molecular markers show morphology is evolutionarily plastic in Porites - 7thSpace Interactive

Shape-shifting coral evade identification - GeneRef

wild shores of singapore

 

[Boomer]

Who ever fixed my triple post thanks. This guys mouse in Texas sucks and the speed is so slow I get :hammerhea and lost at 1.5 KB / sec

 

[rmlevasseur]

what what what?

 

[mps9506]

Just when you thought it was possible to ID species of sps corals apart, as many led you to believe or think that they can or you think you can, along comes some smart-ass, that has his terds all wrapped up in a neat little ball, that tells you, you are talking out of your butt end and are really clueless most of the time, which I have always believed in.

Didn't need some paper to tell me that about myself!

what what what?

Basically don't really on morphological characteristics to id coral specimens to the species level without understanding that you are probably wrong

Species definitions based solely on evolutionarily labile, polymorphic, or
phenotypically plastic traits are likely to be misleading and confound attempts to identify,
understand, and conserve coral biodiversity or to recognize its loss.

Probably the important part of the article for most hobbyists.

 

[Jeremy0322]

Basically don't really on morphological characteristics to id coral specimens to the species level without understanding that you are probably wrong

I think he was making fun of the original triple post, but I could be mistaken.

 

[mps9506]

ahhh...

 

[ReefLady]

Who ever fixed my triple post thanks.

YW. ;-) Now I need to read the article.

 

[Boomer]

Thanks Teri

Mike
Basically don't really on morphological characteristics to id coral specimens to the species level without understanding that you are probably wrong

A 100 %true statement I am amazed at times how one thinks they can ID a sps from a pic and JEN Veron, the master at coral ID can't

 

[Boomer]

First we learn that corallimorphs are really stony corals, then it's that Caribbean mussids and faviids are more closely related to each other than they are to Pacific mussids and faviids, and that several family level taxonomic splits can be easily nested within existing families while other subgeneric splits are not even recognized, then we find out that many rare species of Acropora are hybridizing wildly, and now seemingly large morphological distinctions among Porites are essentially useless in determining phylogeny.

I'm considering Chris Jury's new line of thought "calling them all fuzzy rocks", and that's it.

 

[ReefLady]

Would definitely make those ID questions easier, eh?

It's a Fuzzrockilis sp. - umm, they all are. Unless the have fins or claws, that is.

 

[mps9506]

It becomes easy to see how this can develop into a hindrance to coral reef conservation efforts in some regards.

How the heck does USFWS regulate CITIES and the importation of stony corals for the aquarium trade if experts have difficulty identifying corals? I'm assuming numbers are regulated at the genus level, not species, but even identifying to the genus level can be difficult.