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Sunday 10 August 2014

Undersea Life - Sunday Stamps

There is a bit of a fishy tale about the theme of undersea life this week. I had used all my undersea creatures before so I had to trawl the world for my stamps this week starting with the National Fish of South Africa.


South Africa - Coracinus capensis
The Galjeon inhabits South Africa's coastal waters, confined mostly to the shallows. Its colour varies depending where it lives - almost black in rocky areas and silver bronze where it's sandy. KwaZula-Natal knows it as the black fish or black bream; elsewhere it is called the Damba, much easier to say than coracinus capensis

It may seem strange to include a stamp from a landlocked country like Hungary especially as Xiphophorus Helleri is part of their tropical fish series issued in 1962.

Hungary - Xiphophorus Helleri
The green swordfish (Xi-H) is a freshwater/brackish water fish. Where it has been introduced elsewhere in the world it has become a nuisance pest. Significant numbers exist along the east coast of Australia.

'Wars' have been fought over fish, the Cod Wars between Iceland and the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1970s being well known disputes over fishing rights. It's not surprising to find that fish are featured on Icelandic stamps.

Iceland - Salmon (I think)
Iceland - Haddock and Cod
Britain would be at a loss with a supply of melanogrammus aeglefinnus (Haddock) and gadus morhua (Cod) to go with their chips.

These days though fission chips may be found subsea.

Great Britain - Nuclear Submarine
For other subsea sights and creatures just follow the links at Viridian's Sunday-Stamps-183.





7 comments:

Joy said...

LOL, I must remember to ask for fission chips, thats one of the nuclear subs built near where I live.

Ana said...

you've done a good trawling here ;) yeah, it does seem strange for a country like Hungary to have issued a tropical fish stamp..but then again, not so rarely the stamp issuing decision make sense :)

viridian said...

Ha Ha! My dad pre retirement worked for General Electric and was involved with their military submarine program! thank you for joining us this week.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

Maybe there are lots of tropical fish breeders in Hungary.

21 Wits said...

Great stamps, my favorite is the men in their yellow slickers! It so sets the mood of their day.

Jo said...

Fission chips, groan. I wish we could get smoked haddock here. Good stamps.

agi said...

love the salmon stamp showing movement. great selection! i am starting to appreciate fish more these days, the underwater is so fascinating