Where does the "Unique" Coral naming come from?

[Novi]

Like for instance Alien Eye Chalice, or Lord of the Rings Zoanthids, Ring of Fire Acans, etc....

Do stores name them whatever they want, but just try to stay consistent to what everyone else names them as well to stay up with value? Like I see "Watermelon Chalices" are Primo dollars. Can somebody else sell it and call it "Jupiter Skin Chalice and get the same amount of money? I just dont get where the naming comes from and who does it and why....

[Brian Ward]

1 word... Marketing. Vendors usually pick out the "coolest" looking corals and name those. Many of them come from known members of the community such as Jason Fox. Typically, the name of the coral denotes lineage back to the original collector/seller of the coral, however there is no one policing this. I believe it started with fragfarmers.com, but has ballooned since.

[trockafella]

Why..? 1.) Bc there nerds with nothing better to do or 2.) To profit more money bc it has a silly fake name

 

*Along the same lines of what your asking, do any "actual" scientists name theme..?

 

 

[BowieReefer84]

I name my own once I buy them. I don't like people giving MY corals names for me. I never was a fan of Lord of the Rings, and thats the last thing I would refer anything in my tank as. Mostly I stick with names like Mr. Bojangles and Sharkie for the fish. For the corals I stick with names like the red mushrooms, the green polyps, and the beige softies, the different colored chalice down there next to the purple rock. Too much effort trying to remember names like "the super neon batman special edition limited chalice." Thats just my opinion. Plus if you told someone who isn't into aquariums the names they would laugh at you more than they already do (my personal experience).

[Novi]

Plus if you told someone who isn't into aquariums the names they would laugh at you more than they already do (my personal experience).

 

LOL... its funny you say that. I showed somebody a pic of some "Aquaman Zoos" and he was like Uhhhhhhh wut? And then just laughed.

 

Yeah I wasn't sure if some of the names came from scientists or just Frag Stores. I assumed it was the latter.

[jason the filter freak]

My personal favorite are toxic shock syndrome zoos, zoas, zoanthids. If you're not at all medically inclined you might have to look it up but you'll understand why some of us find the name hilarious.

 

It does serve some purpose as it makes corals readily identifiable based on this name they've given them. A lot of people know what a purple hornet zoo, rainbow montie,purple monster, etc are by hearing the name and seeing the photo once. Now if you want to buy said coral its easier to ask for a purple hornet zoo than to ask for a purple zooanthid with a yellow ring and a blah blah blah skirt, and such and such center etc.

[reefhunter]

All corals have a scientific name (acropora verweyii, monipora setosa, acan lordhownesis, scolymia, dendrophyllia, etc). Some of these are chosen to be named beyond that based upon unusal or collectible characteristics (cool colors or patterns). It makes the coral desireable and identifiable. These names can come from anyone along the line and can be applied to differnt corals that look similar (any scolymia with green and orange = bleeding apply scolymia)(any bright green sliming staghorn = green slimer). There are people in the club with corals named after them, because they are associated as the first person who named them (gadgets acro and leishman's tabling acropora).

 

I buy corals with names and pay more money for them. Why? Resale purposes. However, I have bought many wild corals that have turned out just as nice as a "named" coral... and paid much less...

 

It is what it is.

[trockafella]

I didnt think leishmans tabling acro was names after the guy in our club, I heard it was a different leishman... Can the real Leishman please stand up.. I agree with hunter that they do serve an excellent purpose for identifying.. But some corals have several alias' that they go by... Some of the names can be rather funny, and of course people laugh when tell them is a superman montipora, we understand the names and still laugh sometimes..

 

 

[gmubeach]

Dr mac names all of them:) and hes got some good prices:) in my tank I name everything from chuchaga the sixline wrasse... I'm still waiting to name my black and whites to see if thier boys or girls

[extreme_tooth_decay]

We should come up with a name for the zoos the vapors of which Steve sniffed and regretted.

 

StevesBane?

SniffMeNots?

Edited May 7, 2010 by extreme_tooth_decay

[gmubeach]

They are taking over some ppl in the clubs tanks now:) wish they looked better anyway I was thinking deadly vapors paly's

[sdah0414]

What's really funny is when you get heated debates about whether or not that purple nurple fuzzy mango zoanthid is a "real" purple nurple fuzzy mango. If these names are arbitrary in the first place, how can anything be the "real" something.

[davelin315]

It's no different from Starbucks (which I can't stand!). I always joke around with my daughters when I pick up a coffee for my wife that I'm going to order a double trouble emaciatolattucinocoffeola. They always give me the standard "Daddy!" with consternation as they understand Starbuckese better than I do. I'm the one who goes through the drivethrough and orders off a piece of paper for my wife and then hear something completely different right back and ask them to translate.

 

Naming corals is useful if that's what you're into. I've named a coral that I felt was unique in the past and would really have liked to have had a definitive ID on it, but never got one. Bottom line is that people do what's easiest and also there's the marketing aspect which was already mentioned. Plus, there are certain ones that if you can get the lineage on you can have a better idea of the longevity that the coral enjoys and how it will do in specific conditions. I'm not saying that I like all the named corals, but it has a purpose within certain circles and is also fun if you can do the naming!