Scleractinian Families Nomenclature

Question 1

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Acroporidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 1

akron — “summit” or “top”
poros — “pore”

Named for their porous skeletons and upward-branching growth

Question 2

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Agariciidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 2

agaric — “mushroom”

Named for flat, plate-like or foliose coral morphology

Question 3

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Astrangiidae

C / A

Answer 3

astrangia — “star-like”

Named for small, star-like solitary or colonial forms

Question 4

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Astrocoeniidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 4

aster — “star”
coeni — “common” or “joint”

Named for star-like corallites in colonial formations

Question 5

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Caryophylliidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 5

karyon — “nut” or “kernel”
phyllon — “leaf”

Named for leafy septa that have a clove-like appearance

Question 6

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Cladocoridae

C / A

Answer 6

klados — “branch”
kora — “coral”

Named for their branching, tree-like colony structure

Question 7

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Coscinaraeidae

IN-P

Answer 7

koskinon — “sieve”
araios — “thin” or “rare”

Named for their sieve-like corallite structures

Question 8

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Deltocyathidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 8

delta — “triangle”
cyathus — “cup”

Named for triangular, cup-shaped solitary forms

Question 9

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Dendrophylliidae

IN-P

Answer 9

dendron — “tree”
phyllon — “leaf”

Named for branching forms with leaf-like septa

Question 10

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Diploastraeidae

IN-P

Answer 10

diplos — “double”
aster — “star”

Named for double-walled, star-like corallite features

Question 11

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Euphylliidae

IN-P

Answer 11

eu — “good” or “true”
phyllon — “leaf”

Named for large, fleshy polyps with leaf-like shapes

Question 12

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Faviidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 12

favia — “honeycomb”

Named for closely packed, honeycomb-like corallites

Question 13

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Flabellidae

IN-P

Answer 13

flabellum — “fan”

Named for their fan-shaped, solitary growth forms

Question 14

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Fungiacyathidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 14

fungia — “mushroom”
cyathus — “cup

Named for mushroom-like, solitary cup shapes

Question 15

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Fungiidae

IN-P

Answer 15

fungia — “mushroom”

Named for mushroom-like, free-living coral morphology

Question 16

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Leptastreidae

IN-P

Answer 16

lepto — “thin”
aster — “star”

Named for thin, star-like corallites in colonies

Question 17

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Lobophylliidae

IN-P

Answer 17

lobos — “lobe”
phyllon — “leaf”

Named for fleshy lobes and leaf-like septa

Question 18

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Meandrinidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 18

meandros — “winding” or “meandering”

Named for maze-like, meandering corallite walls

Question 19

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Merulinidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 19

merulina — from meros, “soft”

Named for soft, lobed, interconnected colonies

Question 20

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Micrabaciidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 20

micros — “small”
baculum — “rod” or “staff”

Named for tiny, rod-like septa or structures

Question 21

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Montastraeidae

C / A

Answer 21

monta — “mountain”
aster — “star”

Named for mound-shaped colonies with star-like corallites

Question 22

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Oculinidae

C / A / IN-P

Answer 22

oculus — “eye”

Named for corallites with a central, eye-like structure

Question 23

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Oulastreidae

IN-P

Answer 23

oulas — “scar”
aster — “star”

Named for star-shaped corallites with scarred appearance

Question 24

What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name:

Plerogyridae

IN-P

Answer 24

pleres — “full”
gyros — “circle”

Named for rounded, full polyp shapes

Question 25

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Pleasiastreidae* | IN-P

Answer 25

*pleasis* — origin unknown *aster* — "star" | Star-shaped corallites; etymology of prefix unclear

Question 26

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Pocilloporidae* | C / A / IN-P

Answer 26

*pocillum* — "small cup" *poros* — "pore" | Named for small, porous branch tips and cup-like corallites

Question 27

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Poritidae* | C / A / IN-P

Answer 27

*poros* — "pore" | Named for porous skeletal structure

Question 28

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Psammocoridae* | IN-P

Answer 28

*psammos* — "sand" *kora* — "coral" | Named for sandy habitats or sand-like textures

Question 29

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Rhizangiidae* | C / A / IN-P

Answer 29

*rhiz* — "root" *angion* — "vessel" | Named for root-like skeletal extensions

Question 30

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Schizocyathidae* | C / A

Answer 30

*schizo* — "split" *cyathus* — "cup" | Named for split or lobed, cup-like solitary forms

Question 31

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Siderastreidae* | C / A

Answer 31

*sideros* — "iron" *aster* — "star" | Named for star-shaped corallites with robust skeletons

Question 32

# What is the Latin or Greek root meaning of the taxonomic family name: *Turbinoliidae* | C / A / IN-P

Answer 32

*turbo* — "spiral" | Named for the spiral shape of some members of this coral family