NMITA: Neogene Marine Biota of Tropical America

Tool for identifying zooxanthellate coral genera

Check one state for each of the seven characters; missing values are not allowed.
Click on character state name for illustrations and definition of that state.
Use character states marked with * for demonstration purposes 
  1. Colony Form: The arrangement of corallites within a colony.

    2. Plocoid
    Subplocoid
    Cerioid
    Meandroid *
    Flabelloid
    Phaceloid
    Solitary
  2. Colony Shape: The overall shape of a colony.

    3. Mostly massive or encrusting
    Mostly branching
    Mostly platy (one-side) *
  3. Budding: The position of newly budded corallites relative to the corallite wall.

    4. Mostly intramural *
    Mostly extramural
    None
  4. Columella: The central axial structure within a corallite.

    5. Trabecular and continuous
    Trabecular and discontinuous *
    Lamellar
    Styliform
    Absent
    Unknown (Wall structure and lobes must also be coded as unknown)
  5. Corallite Size: The internal diameter of a corallite measured across the corallite center between inner wall margins.

    6. Small (<1.5 mm)
    Medium (1.5-10 mm) *
    Large (10-20 mm)
    Huge (>20 mm)
  6. Wall Structure: The skeletal structures forming the corallite wall.

    7. Mostly septothecal
    Mostly parathecal
    Synapticulothecal *
    None
    Unknown (Columella and lobes must also be coded as unknown)
  7. Lobes: Vertical structures formed near the inner septal margins.

    8. Pali
    Paliform lobes
    Septal lobes
    No lobes *
    Unknown (Wall structure and columella must also be coded as unknown)
     

    Click here for character matrix.

    Click here for future plans for development of the ID tool.

    Last updated on October 24, 1996-afb.
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