Who's got the key to the key?

[Anonymous]

OK!!! I give up. Who knows how to read the key to classification and who can explain it?
I know I haven't got a clue as to what the numbers on the right hand side stand for. Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me.
D*ckT

 

[Anonymous]

And here I thought it would be self-explanatory! LOL

OK, follow along on the Atlantic Reef Coral key.

First thing you do is see if a) the corallum is a single corallite (solitary) or
b) it is several or many corallites (colonial).

If a, you go to question 2.
If b, you go to question 4.

If a, question 2 asks, is it disk-like, 5cm, spiny septa? If yes, its Scolymia, if no, go to question 3

see how it works?

Eric

 

[Anonymous]

OH! He exclaimed as the bright light lit through the dense fog to show the way. I've got it! By jove, I've got it! Thank you, teacher.
D*ckT

 

[Anonymous]

G'day D*ick,
Don't worry I had the same problem on how to work out the key and now that I have worked it out HELP!. Now I know why it is so hard to classify corals, I came up with three different answers.
Tehlia.

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Tehlia

 

[Anonymous]

LOL. Yes, and this is to genus....now, think about species in a living coral...see why I issue forth mild guffaws when stores are selling Acropora chesterfieldensis or Montipora capricornis? uh....ok, I believe it. I believe you can use x-ray vision into and through living polyps less than 1mm across and see septal arrangements

eric