Growth form
| Unitary | An organism composed of a single functional entity i.e. a tree, a plant, a worm, a crab etc. It may or may not be equivalent to 'individual'. | |
| Modular | An organism in which the zygote develops into a discrete unit which then produces more units like itself, forming a colony or modular structure, e.g. bryozoans and sea squirts. | |
| Erect The main visible parts of organism stand straight and above the substratum. |
Arborescent / Arbuscular | Having the shape or characteristics of a tree. |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | A dense stand of large plants in which the upper branches (trees) or laminae (macroalgae) overlap to form a canopy that shades the under story of flora and fauna. | |
| Shrub | Having a very short stem with branches near the ground (Thompson, 1995). | |
| Turf | The lowest stratum of erect branching or filiform species. | |
| Encrusting Forms or resembles a crust over a substratum or other organisms. |
Crustose soft | Forming or resembling a crust (Thompson, 1995) that yields to the touch or pressure e.g. the gelatinous colonies of Botryllus schlosseri or soft cushions of sponges such as Halichondria sp. |
| Crustose hard | Forming or resembling a crust (Thompson, 1995) that is solid or resistant to touch or pressure e.g. the encrusting coralline algae or sea mats. | |
| Cushion | A mass or pillow of soft material. | |
| Mat | A dense mass which blankets the substratum. | |
| Vermiform Worm-like |
Vermiform unsegmented | Worm-like where the external surface is divided into a chain of rings or 'annuli' by furrows giving the appearance of segments (Barnes et al., 1993). |
| Vermiform segmented | Worm-like with the body divided into semi-independent, serially repeated units (Barnes et al., 1993) e.g. Annelida. | |
| Vermiform annulated | Worm-like where the external surface is divided into a chain of rings or 'annuli' by furrows giving the appearance of segments (Barnes et al., 1993). | |
| Accretion | Build up or accumulation of sediment. | |
| Algal gravel | Maerl; twig-like unattached (free-living) calcareous red algae, often a mixture of species and including species which form a spiky cover on loose small stones - 'hedgehog stones'. | |
| Anchor-shaped | E.g Ceratium spp. | |
| Articulate | Jointed, arthrous (Holmes, 1979). | |
| Bivalved | Characteristically a shell of two calcareous or chitinous valves joined by a flexible ligament. | |
| Bullate / Saccate | Balloon or sac-like (Prescott, 1969). | |
| Capitate / Clubbed | Enlarged or swollen at the apex, with a ‘head’, clubbed. (Prescott, 1969). | |
| Chains | Formed of chains of individuals. | |
| Clathrate | Latticed (Holmes, 1979). | |
| Cone (conical) | Cone shaped e.g. Limpet -shaped, patelliform, (adapted from Stachowitsch, 1992). | |
| Cylindrical | Straight sides and a circular section (Thompson, 1995). | |
| Dendroid | Branching irregularly – similar to that of a root system (Prescott, 1969). | |
| Digitate | Having parts arranged like fingers on a hand (Holmes, 1979). | |
| Faunal beds | Dense aggregation of animals that visually dominate the seabed or shore such as brittlestars (e.g. Ophiothrix fragilis) or mussels (e.g. Mytilus edulis). | |
| Filiform / Filamentous | Slender and thread-like (Kozloff, 1996). | |
| Flabellate | Flabellate, shaped like a fan, fanlike (Brusca, 1980). | |
| Flaccid | Soft, limp, flabby (Brusca, 1980). | |
| Foliose | Bearing leaves or leaf-like structures; having the appearance of a leaf. | |
| Funnel shaped | Shaped like a funnel. | |
| Globose | Approximately spherical / ovoid / globular (Brusca, 1980). | |
| Lanceolate | Lance shaped and usually elongate (Brusca, 1980). | |
| Massive | Large, heavy or solid (OED, 1990). | |
| Medusiform / Medusoid | Disk, bell or umbrella shaped and often gelatinous (Barnes et al., 1988). | |
| Penicillate | Brush like (Prescott ,1969). | |
| Pinnate | Branching like a feather – an elongate main axis with lateral branches or lobes (Prescott, 1969). | |
| Pisciform | Fish shaped | |
| Radial | Symmetrical about any plane passed perpendicular to the oral/aboral axis (Barnes et al., 1993). | |
| Reticulate | In the form of a mesh or net (Prescott, 1969). | |
| Stellate | Arranged like a star. | |
| Strap-like / Ribbon-like | In the form of a strap or ribbon. | |
| Tadpole | Having the body form of a tadpole i.e. consisting of a round head with a tail. | |
| Turbinate | Whorled (Brusca, 1980). | |
| Whip-like | Long and thin like a whip. | |
References
- Barnes, R.S.K., Calow, P. & Olive P.J.W., 1993. The invertebrates: a new synthesis. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.
- Brusca, R.C., 1980. Common intertidal invertebrates of the Gulf of California. University of Arizona Press.
- Holmes, S., 1979. Henderson’s dictionary of biological terms. 9th ed. London: Hendersons.
- Kozloff, E.N., 1996. Marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
- Prescott, G.W., 1969. The algae: a review. Sunbury-upon-Thames: T. Nelson and Sons Ltd.
- Stachowitsch, M., 1992. The invertebrates: an illustrated glossary. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Thompson, D., (ed.) 1995. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English. 9th ed. London: Oxford University Press.
