Coralpedia Fail

[121]

I've noticed that Coralpedia have albums of named zoas, but each album contains colour morphs that only look similar to what their supposed to be.

Considering the monies spent in this game, isn't it time we stepped it up a little? I think we should start a site where RC members can contribute macro shots to truly ID a morph.

Also we could look more into IDing what species of zoanthid it is and what depth and location it originated from. That way we could provide ideal conditions for it to thrive.

I'm testing a site for this right next week. If an ID site is ok on RC then I'll post a linky :beer:

 

[Akwarius]

I appreciate your ambition. Coralpedia is pretty useful with the exception of a few, ie Playdoh paly, serene nova, shiznits, and red death. It just needs to be cleaned up a bit. And though it would be very interesting to zoa dorks like myself to know the location and depth of collection, I'm not sure how useful that information would be for raising aquacultured specimens, which go through a bit of a transformation once adapted to our artificial reefs.

 

[Antonais1391]

i think there should be a site that not only does what you say for zoas but for all other variety and types of corals. theres no ID site for SPS or LPS that i know of.

 

[650-IS350]

http://www.thecoralvault.com/vault/category/1-zps

when a polyp is submitted to for ID or new name, the picture gets sent to a bunch of Z's and P's savant's that will come to an agreements whether the submitted piece is a new polyp, a morph or is already named.

http://www.thecoralvault.com/vault

http://www.coralpedia.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=5807
http://www.coralpedia.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=7189
http://www.coralpedia.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=5644

 

[121]

I'll draft a site next week and anyone can go ahead and critique the style and content.

Hopefully it will become an ongoing WIP that eventually benefits other reefers.

 

[121]

650-IS350,

I was thinking more along the lines of IDing their latin names and origin as apposed to the made up names. We could add the marketing names but that would not be primary.

 

[Scopus Tang]

650-IS350,

I was thinking more along the lines of IDing their latin names and origin as apposed to the made up names. We could add the marketing names but that would not be primary.

I'd be real curious as to how you plan to do that and keep it accurate? The only way you can accurately ID a particular zoanthid to species (i.e. latin) name it to do a DNA analysis of the polyp; and the vast majority of those collected, bought, sold and traded in the hobby have never had a DNA analysis done. In fact, very few of those found in the wild have actually had DNA analysis done. The validity of the few scientific names that are currently being used in the hobby are in question right now among scientists themselves. Further, its my personal belief that once someone actually starts doing DNA analysis of the polyps, that we as hobbiests are going to find that many of the different morphs we currently collect and trade at a species level are going to be the same polyp. Look at how many different varieties of the PE zoanthids there currently are; and yet those belong primarily to only two species (Z. gigantus and Z. pulchellus or perhaps Z. solanderi - and Z. pulchellus or Z. solanderi may be the same species or a closely related species of Z. gigantus, but nobody knows yet for sure, because the Caribbean People Eaters have never had their DNA confirmed). So any attempt by hobbiests to ID polyps by scientific or Latin names is going to be a SWAG - "it looks like that picture, so that must be what it is."

Others will argue that every coral imported into this country comes in with a scientific name, and that is true, but the people collecting these corals are not scientists, the corals are not having their DNA analyzed prior to shipping, and so in truth, the scientific names attached to these shipments are also a SWAG - they just make sure that they're not labeled with a name that is prohibited or restricted for collection.

Also curious as to why Coralpedia has to fail in order for your site to have merit? If your site isn't capable of standing on its own merit without devaluing the work of others, perhaps it is the failure.

 

[650-IS350]

That's going to be hard my friend, just like my buddy Scopus just mentioned...

 

[Antonais1391]

Actualy the coralpedia is what i was thinking of but there needs to be more info for more types

 

[Scopus Tang]

Actualy the coralpedia is what i was thinking of but there needs to be more info for more types

As my friend Charles mentioned above, this site may be what you are looking for, as the vault lists all types of corals.

http://thecoralvault.com/vault