2010, July 23. Philippine Marine Biodiversity - Definitives
Litho Offset. Amstar Company, Inc. Perf. 13.5
Singles, Sheets of 100 (10 x 10)
15p - Bowmouth Guitarfish - Singles (350,000)
30p - Chambered Nautilus - Singles (3,270,000)
Designers: Nelson L. Mercado (15p); Lino B. Jamisola (30p)
Graphic Artist: Earvin L. Ayes
Design Coordinators: Victorino Z. Serevo; Elenita D.L. San Diego
Source: Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific by Dr. Terence Gosliner
First Day Covers: Manila
Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina Ancylostoma). The bowmouth guitarfish, mud skate, or shark ray (Rhina ancylostoma is found widely in the tropical coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region, at depths of up to 90 m (300 ft). Highly distinctive in appearance, the bowmouth guitarfish has a wide, thick body with a blunt snout and large, shark-like dorsal and tail fins. The line of its mouth is strongly undulating, and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back. It has dorsal color pattern of many white spots over a bluish gray to brown background, with a pair of prominent markings over the pectoral fins. This large species can grow to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) long and 135 kg (300 lb). Strong-swimming and demersal in nature, the bowmouth guitarfish prefers sandy or muddy flats and areas adjacent to reefs, where it hunts for crustaceans, molluscs, and bony fishes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as Vulnerable; its sizable pectoral fins are greatly valued as food and it is widely caught by artisanal and commercial fisheries. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowmouth_guitarfish)
Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). The best-known species of nautilus. The shell, when cut away reveals a lining of lustrous nacre and displays a nearly perfect equiangular spiral. The shell exhibits counter shading, being light on the bottom and dark on top. This is to help avoid predators because when seen from above, it blends in with the darkness of the sea, and when seen from below, it blends in with the light coming from above. The animal has more primitive eyes than some other cephalopods; the eye has no lens and thus is comparable to a pinhole camera. The animal has about 90 tentacles with no suckers, which is also different from other cephalopods. This nocturnal animal has a pair of rhinophores, which detect chemicals, and uses olfaction and chemotaxis in order to find its food. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambered_Nautilus)
Topical Categories
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Marine Biodiversity
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Marine Life