I guess the problem I have and will always have with names is this. I was selling, buying, trading and even giving away hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of zoanthids and palythoas all over the country for $ 15 to $ 20 for a frag rock. They were loaded with 15 plus polyps of every color you can imagine, not a plug, for 10 years prior to someone deciding to give them names in 2005/2006. It just so happens that at the EXACT same time ( 2005/2006), prices went sky high from 75 cents to $ 1.50 per polyp on average, ( on the high end) to chop shopping and selling these white plugs with 1 to 3 polyps glued to them from $ 15 to hundreds of dollars for a SINGLE polyp. That's ridiculus !!! This had nothing to do with "supply and demand", "what the market will bare", "what reefers are willing to pay", and all of the other lame excuses I've heard. These sky high prices were DIRECTLY attributed to naming, and false claims of rarity. This is why you don't see wide angle photos of zoas and palys anymore on large rocks, yet only super macro pics of 1 to 3 polyps on a plug or 2 inch rocks. This is why I hate names, we got along for many many many years without them and thousands of people sold and traded all over the country this way, but now, many won't even buy something unless it has a name and a history or a certificate of aunthenticity. The reefers, not the stores nor the suppliers were responsible for this hype and these sky high pricing for a TINY FRAG or a SINGLE POLYP. Now, because you can pay your car note with a couple of sales of zoas and palys, you now have to have a name to ID them when you resale them and the LINEAGE to help increase the profit you can make off of them. Naming turned into price gouging which equal excessive fragging, premature death from excessive, improper and premature fragging.
I see more concern about names than I do actual care for the corals. I recently spoke with a very very well known book writer whom we all have heard about and this is what he said. He literally hates the naming of zoas and palys for the same reasons I listed above. And this guy is someone we all love. He stated that he can't say it in public as he doesn't want to ruffle any feathers, offend anyone or turn his followers on him.
It truly troubles me that naming, lineage and taking the best photos with a digital camera and eye candy threads, gets more attention than a discussion thread. Just my 2 cents on why naming and lineage are a total and complete waste of time. It's ok if we respectfully disagree. Great discussion BTW.
There is some good reading on Lineage and Pricing in the links below.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...=mucho+lineage
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ght=mucho+reef
Mucho Reef
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