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RP Issues of 2011

 

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2011, May 12.  Marine Biodiversity (Definitive)

Litho Offset.  Amstar Company, Inc.  Perf. 13.5

4p, 10p, 17p Singles, Sheets of 100  (10 x 10);  100p Singles, Sheets of 50 (5 x 10)

    4p   Banded Vexillum - Singles (225,000)

  10p   Mushroom Coral - Singles (115,000)

  17p   Cowfish - Singles (100,000)

100p   Pink Tube Sponge - Singles (50,000)

 

Source:  Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific by Dr. Terence Gosliner

 

First Day Cover:  Manila

 

   

 

Banded Vexillum (Vexillum taeniatum)

Vexillum (Vexillum) taeniatum, common name: the Ribboned Mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.  The shell size varies between 38 mm and 85 mm.  This species is distributed in the Indian Ocean along Madagascar and in the Pacific Ocean along the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and in the Gulf of Thailand.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillum_taeniatum).  The members of this family are closely related to mitre shells.  Both have an elongate, conical shell, but that of the costellariids usually has more pronounced spiral tiers.  They inhabit sandy or rocky bottoms in relatively shallow water.  Egg cases, containing only a few embryos, are laid on the bottom.  There is no larval stage and the embryos hatch as crawling young.  They are carnivores, feeding on other mollusks and invertebrates.  (Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans   By Gerald Allen)

Mushroom Coral (Fungia scutaria)

The Mushroom Coral (Fungia scutaria) is a specie of the Actinodiscus genus that populates the rocky reefs and seabed of tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. The mushroom coral is also referred to as a Corallimorphs, Mushroom Anemones, or Disc Anemones because its composition is between the anemones and stony corals.  Common in depressions on shallow reefs.  Generally oblong and thick with sinuous ribs of varying length.  (http://www.thesea.org/mushroom_coral/mushroom_coral.htm) (http://www.marinelifephotography.com/corals/mushroom/fungia-scutaria.htm).

Cowfish  (Lactoria cornuta)

The cowfish is probably one of the most comical-looking creatures on the reef, with its boxy appearance and four long horns. Its fins are small compared to its body, making it look more like a blimp moving through the water than a fish. Cowfish, as with other boxfish, uncover their meals of crabs and shrimps by blowing jets of water into the sand with their mouths.  Because they are such slow swimmers, cowfish are easily caught by hand, making a grunting noise when captured. Their bodies are very stiff, since their scales are fused together to form a solid shell which covers almost the entire body. (http://divegallery.com/cowfish.htm)

Pink Tube Sponge  (Cribrochalina olemda)

The Pink Tube Sponge is found in lagoons or on protected reef slopes.  It is variable in shape, but generally forms clusters of elongate tubes that reach 20-40 cm (8-16 in) in length.  Color is also variable, ranging from lavender and pink to grey or bluish.  The relatively smooth-textured outer surface is occasionally covered with small worm-like sea cucumbers that feed on accumulated organic debris.  Other Sponges are extremely efficient filter feeders.  They can filter the smallest microscopic organisms, even bacteria, which are a major source of their nutrition.  Food particles are ingested by special mobile ells in their fibrous matrix.  Because of their preference for bacteria and organic debris, sponges are often abundant and robust at the entrance of harbors or off river mouths.  They are also prominent in areas exposed to strong currents which greatly facilitates the movement of water into the feeding canals.  (Tropical Marine Life by Gerald R. Allen)

 

TOPICAL CATEGORIES

 

  • Marine Biodiversity

 

Articles by Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak

 

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Issues of 2011