ID:
55
Description:
Veron (2000) uses approximately 50 different terms or combinations of terms to describe colony morphology. As he states “there are so many different shapes of corals that such descriptive terms can be misleading and carry less meaning that illustrations” Veron 2000 Volume 1 p56. We have grouped these into 11 different growth forms none of which are specific to a given taxa. In contrast, many of the morphological categories in “growth form Wallace” are specific to the Acropora.
Veron (2000) often gives more than one morphology per species to capture phenotypic plasticity in this trait; however, this is not done consistently. Therefore, just because three growth forms are listed for one species does not necessarily imply that it is more plastic than another species with only two growth forms listed.
Below we list how we have categories the various terms used by Veron (2000) to describe growth form into the 11 categories used in Coral Traits
- encrusting: overlaying the substratum
- laminar: thin sheets often forming whorls
- massive: solid with similar shape in all direction
- submassive: not quite massive
- columnar: forming columns
- encrusting_with_long_uprights: overlaying the substratum with long branches
- branching_closed: branches in clusters or tufts
- branching_open: branches of similar length given off at similar angles
- tables_or_plates: colony outline in the shape of a table i.e. a top with one central leg or side-attached table
- digitate: encrusting with regular short upright branches
- encrusting_with_short_uprights: overlaying the substratum with short upright branches, ridges or nodules
- corymbose: flat topped clumps
- hispidose: open-branched except with a second type of branch given off at regular intervals
For the Genus Montipora
- Flat tiers = laminar
- Flat plates = encrusting
- Irregularly contorted laminae = laminar
- Tubes = encrusting_with_uprights
- Irregular upgrowths = encrusting_with_uprights
- Irregular branch-like upgrowths = encrusting_with_uprights
- Nodular upgrowths = encrusting_with_uprights
- Thick plates = encrusting
- Irregular lobes = laminar
- Columnar upgrowths = encrusting_with_uprights
- Irregular clumps = branching_closed
- Flat = encrusting
- Hemispherical = massive
- Contorted nodular columns or branches = encrusting_with_longuprights
- Vertical plates = laminar
- Upright laminae = encrusting_with_uprights
- Upward projecting ridges = encrusting_with_uprights
- Small irregular plates = encrusting
- thin plates – encrusting
- Clumps = branching_closed
For the genus Acropora
- Sturdy, large, thick, irregular, buffalo horn, elkhorn = branches_open
- Plates (group 9 & 10 & 17) = tables
- horizontal _withupturnedends (group 8) = tables
- staghorn – group 11 (conspicuous 2nd branches) = branches_open
- dense thickets of short cylindrical branches; irregular clusters of upright interlinked contorted branches, clumps, bushes, compact clumps (group 13 & 14 & 15 & 16) = branches_closed
- cushion like, corymbose plates, corymbose clumps = corymbose
- digitate clumps = digitate
- large horizontal corymbose plates = tables
- digitate bushes = branches_closed
Astreopora
- Plates = laminar
- Flat = encrusting
Pocilloporidae
- Hemispherical mounds of branches, irregularly radiating branches, compact clumps= branching_closed
- Sprawl = branching_closed
Other taxa
- Dome shaped = massive
- Flat plates = encrusting
Fungiidae
- All free living forms classified as massive; attached forms as either massive, encrusting or laminar
Merulinidae
- Branch-like spires; spire-like branches = branching_closed
Mussidae
Porites
- Lobed = submassive
- Small nodules = submassive
Used for traits:
Added by:
Joshua Madin