The reefkeeping hobby today is full of colorful trade names for corals, and it appears that, for better or for worse, the trend is here to stay. Tidal Gardens has plenty of corals with goofy names, so we are the last folks in the world who should be judgmental about the practice.
作为一个卖家,很明显t named corals sell better than corals with a descriptive name such as “red and blue” coral. Higher prices and greater overall demand are incentive enough for sellers to continue naming corals. The other reason that coral naming continues is that it’s literally the number one most asked question we get. When customers ask, “What is that coral called?” they aren’t asking about the genus or species; they want to know “what it’s called.” Even if the vendor were to draw a line in the sand and say no more stupid names, the market is like the mafia. It will draw you right back in!
On one hand, trade names can be helpful in identifying a particular coral. Describing the appearance ofzoanthids例如，实际上是一个失去的原因。绿色中心，带有紫色的橙色裙子……听起来可能是20种不同的东西。水果环怎么样？想到一个非常独特的Zoanthid。
当然，问题在于某些珊瑚具有不同的常用名称，或者更糟糕的是，不同使用的名称不同。最糟糕的情况是，每个供应商都称某个珊瑚是不同的名字，希望将其烙印为他或她独有的东西。我鼓励供应商不要这样做有两个原因。
First, it is a confusing practice for everyone involved. Second, and more importantly, people do not know to search for your freshly minted unique snowflake of a coral. It is better to find out whether the coral has a name that’s already used out there and go with it. More customers are likely going to look for a “known” coral name than a name that literally nobody else on earth has ever called it.
A side benefit of going with an existing name is you spend less time and energy coming up with new names. It may sound like a minor issue, but, personally, my reservoir of colorful names is completely exhausted. My staff comes up with the majority of the names you see on Tidal Gardens because these days…I got nothing.
What are your thoughts on the naming of corals? Let us know in the comment section below.
