Trait and Keyword List
Trait Categories and controlled vocabulary used by the OBIS IndoPacific Mollusc project. Keywords defined in gray are non-standard and should not be used; they may be of use to locate the correct term on the keyword list to use.
Some non standard keywords have also snuck into the database from imports of external data, and from misuse of BioLink's flexibible keyword utility . Use of the keywords listed below is enforced in the Data Entry Toolkit. You can also view a list of all keywords found in the database, along with the number of records each keyword is attached to.
Associations: Biological associations between the taxon of interest and other taxa should use the association feature of Biolink and the Biolink taxonomic heirarchy. These keywords describe the nature of association between two organisms.
Associations: Commensalism: "Dining together", animals who live together, with no harm to each other, in the sharing of the food source
Associations: Endoecism: An active participant habitually shelters within the burrow made by another species.
Associations: Epizoism: An epizoite is one which is habitually found attached to the outer surface of another (not in the sence of transport)
Associations: Inquilinism: "Who lives within"associations in which one animal lives within another, doing the host little or no harm.
Associations: Mutualism: Mutual benefit of the association
Associations: Parasite/Host: An association in which organisms live together and from which the active participant gains advantage, while the passive host is often harmed or debilitated
Associations: Phoresis: An association in which the active participant uses the transporting potential of the host.
Depth:
Depth: Non-standard:continental rise: Same as Bathyal. Sea bed from 1000-4000m depth
Depth: abyssal: sea bed at 4000-6000m depth
Depth: abyssopelagic: Pelagic phase at 4000-6000m depth
Depth: bathyal: is the same as continental rise. Sea bed at 1000-4000m depth
Depth: bathypelagic: Pelagic phase 1000-4000m depth
Depth: benthic: Use only if more specific depth information is lacking.
Depth: continental shelf: to edge of continental slope (normally about 200m).
Depth: continental slope: Sea bed from 200-1000m depth
Depth: epipelagic: Pelagic phase above shelf break (200m depth)
Depth: hadal: Sea bed below 6000m depth
Depth: hadopelagic: Pelagic phase below 6000m depth
Depth: infralittoral fringe: The fringe between the low tide level and the subtidal
Depth: intertidal: Between spring high and low tide marks
Depth: mesopelagic: Pelagic phase from 200-1000m depth
Depth: pelagic: Use only if more specific depth information is lacking.
Depth: shallow subtidal: Sea bed from low tide mark to 5m depth
Depth: subtidal: Sea bed from 5-20m depth
Depth: supratidal: Above the high tide mark
Exposure: Degree of exposure of environment in which organism lives to wave energy. Refers to the exposure of the general environment such as lagoonal settings, rather than the microenvironment in which the organism lives, such as under rocks.
Exposure: exposed: Area normally exposed to strong wave action.
Exposure: Not Applicable: For environments such as terrestrial or deep sea not exposed to wave action.
Exposure: semi-exposed: Area exposed to strong wave action during storms (=semisheltered).
Exposure: sheltered: Area with little wave action (e.g., areas behind barrier islands).
Feeding Mode: The manner in which the taxon obtains food.
Feeding Mode: Non-standard:filter feeding: Use "suspension feeding".
Feeding Mode: boring: Bores hole through shell of prey.
Feeding Mode: chemosymbiotic: Containing microorganisms that make part or all of host's food using chemical energy.
Feeding Mode: deposit feeding: Ingesting soft substrates.
Feeding Mode: ectoparasitic: External, or partly external to the host.
Feeding Mode: endoparasitic: Inside the body of the host.
Feeding Mode: grazing: Rasping food from substrate; will typically include foods other than just algae.
Feeding Mode: hunting: Active hunting and capture of prey.
Feeding Mode: parasitic: Use ecto- or endoparasitic if known.
Feeding Mode: photosymbiotic: Containing photosynthetic microorganisms that make part or all of the host's food.
Feeding Mode: predation: Feeding on live animals.
Feeding Mode: scavenging: Feeding on dead animals.
Feeding Mode: suctorial feeding: Feeding by sucking fluids from prey/host.
Feeding Mode: suspension feeding: Feeding on suspended particles or microorganisms in the water column.
Feeds On: General category of source of nutrition. Food items that correspond to taxonomic groups below the level of kingdoms should be noted as Associations.
Feeds On: Non-standard:carnivore: Use "animals".
Feeds On: Non-standard:herbivore: Use "plants".
Feeds On: Non-standard:omnivore: If known, score specific items below.
Feeds On: animals: Any member of the animal kingdom.
Feeds On: bacteria: Used in the broad sense.
Feeds On: biofilms: Any surface film composed of living (typically microbial or unicellular) organisms.
Feeds On: detritus: Organic debris from decomposing plants and animals.
Feeds On: fungi:
Feeds On: lichens:
Feeds On: microbial mats: Multilayered--typically blue-green algae.
Feeds On: plankton: Includes both zooplankton and phytoplankton.
Feeds On: plants: Vascular plants or macroalgae.
Habit: Mode of life of animal as adult, when active (e.g., feeding).
Habit: Non-standard:benthic: Scored under the "Depth" trait, if necessary.
Habit: Non-standard:pelagic: Scored under the "Depth" trait. Here use "planktonic", "nektonic", or "neustonic" if known
Habit: boring, infaunal: Living in holes actively bored into hard substrates.
Habit: burrowing, infaunal: Living in burrows actively made within soft substrates.
Habit: byssally attached: Attached to substrate by byssus.
Habit: cemented, epifaunal: Shell cemented to substrate.
Habit: embedded: Living within other organisms (e.g, corals, sponges) and becoming embedded in them as they grow.
Habit: epifaunal: Living on the surface of the substrate; needed only if not implied by a specific habit.
Habit: infaunal: Living embedded in sediment; needed only if not implied by a specific habit.
Habit: interstitial, infaunal: Living in the spaces between grains of sediment.
Habit: nektonic: Free (active) swimming.
Habit: nestling: Living in cracks or crevices, empty burrows etc.
Habit: neustonic: Floating on the surface of the ocean.
Habit: planktonic: Living in the water column and drifting with water movement. Locomotion weak or absent.
Habit: rafting: Attached to free floating objects (algae, pumice, wood etc.).
Habitat: Description of sorts of places organisms live; see also "Substrate"
Habitat: beach: Not necessarily sandy.
Habitat: cold seeps:
Habitat: coral reef:
Habitat: hydrothermal vents:
Habitat: intertidal flats: Use Substrate to specify mud, sand etc.
Habitat: kelp forest:
Habitat: mangrove:
Habitat: rock platform: intertidal only - solid surface, typically flat.
Habitat: rock reef: either intertidal or subtidal, typically with broken surface and some loose rock
Habitat: salt marsh: supralittoral muddy to sandy flats with characteristic low vegetation
Habitat: sea grass bed:
Habitat: tide pools:
Habitat: water column:
Larvae/Young: Life history characteristics relating to early development of offspring.
Larvae/Young: Non-standard:viviparous: Use ovoviviparous [are any mollusks viviparous in the strict sense, lacking hatching?]. Guess not..
Larvae/Young: direct development: Use "veliger lacking" or "veliger non-planktonic" if known.
Larvae/Young: juveniparous: Eggs hatch within parent, offspring emerge as juveniles.
Larvae/Young: larviparous: Eggs hatch within parent, offspring emerge as larvae.
Larvae/Young: lecithotrophic: Free-swimming veliger nourished by yolk, does not feed on plankton.
Larvae/Young: oviparous: Egg-laying.
Larvae/Young: ovoviviparous: Eggs supplied with yolk and albumen and hatches within parent
Larvae/Young: planktotrophic: Veliger feeds on plankton.
Larvae/Young: veliger lacking: Veliger stage skipped in development (i.e., direct development in the strict sense).
Larvae/Young: veliger non-planktonic: Veliger metamorphoses within the egg capsule, does not have free-swimming stage.
Larvae/Young: veliger planktonic: Specify lecithotrophic or planktotrophic if known.
Nomenclatural action: Keywords related to the creation of a new taxonomic name. Applies to the original reference for a BioLink 'Available Name'
Nomenclatural action: Name introduced in Synonomy:
Nomenclatural action: New Replacement Name:
Nomenclatural action: New Taxon:
Nomenclatural action: Unjustified Emendation:
Reproduction: Life history characteristics relating to mode of reproduction and sex.
Reproduction: Non-standard:bisexual: Ambiguous; has different meanings for species and individual.
Reproduction: Non-standard:consecutive hermaphroditism: Use "sequential hermaphroditism".
Reproduction: Non-standard:dioecy/dioecious: Use "gonochorism".
Reproduction: Non-standard:monoecy/monoecious: Use "hermaphroditism".
Reproduction: Non-standard:separate sexes: Use "gonochorism".
Reproduction: Non-standard:unisexual: Ambiguous; has different meanings for species and individual.
Reproduction: alternating hermaphroditism: Use when individual can change sex more than once.
Reproduction: gonochorism: Sexes separate
Reproduction: hermaphroditism: Each individual is both male and female either at the same time or over the course of its life.
Reproduction: iteroparity: Individual reproduces twice or more during life.
Reproduction: parthenogenetic: eggs develop without fertilization
Reproduction: protandry: Form of sequential hermaphoditism in which male gametes mature first.
Reproduction: protogyny: Form of sequential hermaphroditism in which female gametes mature first.
Reproduction: semelparity: Individual reproduces only once during life.
Reproduction: simultaneous hermaphroditism: Individual has mature male and female gametes at the same time.
Salinity: General estimation of the typical salinity conditions in the environment the organism is found in. Does not relate to specific measurements of disolved salt concentration in water.
Salinity: brackish: Reduced salinity from freshwater influx.
Salinity: freshwater:
Salinity: hypersaline: Salinity higher than that of normal seawater.
Salinity: marine:
Salinity: terrestrial:
Spawn/eggs:
Spawn/eggs: brooding, external: Parent remains near or on eggs to protect them
Spawn/eggs: brooding, internal: Eggs retained in body of parent for part or all of embryonic development.
Spawn/eggs: egg capsules pelagic:
Spawn/eggs: egg capsules/masses benthic:
Spawn/eggs: spawning, aggregate:
Spawn/eggs: spawning, broadcast:
Status of name: Applies to a BioLink 'Available Name'
Status of name: Conserved Name: An name that was not available but was conserved and made available by an action of the ICZN
Status of name: Homonym: A name that has the same spelling as another name.
Status of name: Objective Synonym: A name that shares a type specimen with another name.
Status of name: Primary Homonym: A name that was a homonym at the time it was created.
Status of name: Rejected Name: A name that has been rejected and made unavailable by an action of the ICZN
Status of name: Secondary Homonym: A name that became a homonym as the result of a change in generic placement.
Status of name: Subjective Synonym:
Status of name: Synonym: Two names for the same biological concept.
Status of name: Used as Valid Name: Indicates that an author (in the indicated subsequent reference) considered a name to be valid and available.
Subsequent action: Actions that can be take by some subseqent author affecting the status of a taxonmic name. Applies to a BioLink 'Available Name'.
Subsequent action: First revisor, choosing priority:
Subsequent action: First revisor, choosing spelling:
Subsequent action: Justified emendation:
Subsequent action: Nomen oblitum: A valid senior subjective synonym that has had its priority quashed
Subsequent action: Nomen protectum: A junior subjective synonym that has been granted priority
Subsequent action: Places name in synonomy:
Subsequent action: Substitute Name:
Subsequent action: Validates name intro. synonomy: Validation of a name that was introduced in a synonomy.
Substrate (Benthic):
Substrate (Benthic): algal turf:
Substrate (Benthic): biogenic soft substrates:
Substrate (Benthic): bones:
Substrate (Benthic): boulders:
Substrate (Benthic): clay: Hard clay (use "mud" for soft clay).
Substrate (Benthic): cobbles:
Substrate (Benthic): coral:
Substrate (Benthic): elasmobranch egg cases: In deep sea.
Substrate (Benthic): gravel:
Substrate (Benthic): mats of vegetation:
Substrate (Benthic): mud: Soft muds.
Substrate (Benthic): rocks:
Substrate (Benthic): sand:
Substrate (Benthic): sea grass rhizomes: In deep sea.
Substrate (Benthic): shell:
Substrate (Benthic): silt:
Substrate (Benthic): squid beaks: In deep sea.
Substrate (Benthic): wood:
Type: Keywords related to types that can be associated with a Biolink 'Available Name'.
Type: Neotype designation:
Type: Subsequent type designation:
Type: Type species: