KPC3382-3385: Protected Marine Species (2nd series)

In commemoration of World Environment Day on June 5, Korea Post will issue a series of stamps with the pictures of four kinds of coral species (grade 2 endangered wild species) among the protected marine species that are deemed to be at a significant risk of becoming extinct due to the reduction of their habitats and climate change directly affected by environmental pollution and illegal poaching.

Dendronephthya suensoni are characterized by their white stalks and dark red polyps. Usually, their height is 10cm, width is 5.9cm, and they have a thickness of 4.5cm. There are lots of branches attached to the main stalks, and they live at 5~20m depth.

Dendronephthya mollis are comprised of pale yellow stalks, yellow branches, and red polyps. Generally, their height is 8.8~9.4cm, their width is 9.4cm, and they have a thickness of 2.2cm. Also, they are characterized by the shape of a bifurcated mass. Colonies are formed at a water level that is 5~30m deep, and they grow very slowly.

Dendronephthya putteri have yellow-white stalks and dark red polyps. They are mostly flat, and their height is 5.8~7.3cm, their width is 4.2~6.2cm, and they have a thickness of 2.5~3.6cm. They live in the oceans around Jeju Island, and the colonies are formed by attaching to rocks that are situated at a water level that is 5~20m deep where rapid currents are found.
Dendronephthya alba have the shape of a bifurcated white mass, and they tend to be flat. Their height is 3.8cm, their width is 4.8cm, and they have a thickness of 1.8cm. Their habitat is at a water level that is 15~30m deep in the uncontaminated areas of the ocean where rapid currents are present.

These corals are member of the family Nephtheidae, class Anthozoa in the phylum Cnidaria, and they are also known as the flowers inside the sea because of their beautiful shapes and splendid colors which are extremely similar to the cockscomb land plant. By sticking to the bedrocks that are present in the uncontaminated areas of the sea where rapid currents occur, form a colony with other soft coral species, and their major habitats include Jeju Island and the southern sea. Their presence supports an abundant marine ecosystem due to the fact that they provide homes, spawning areas, and foods for a diverse array of marine organisms.