2018 First-Class Forever Stamp,Bioluminescent Life: Marine Worm (Flotas)

# 5270 - 2018 First-Class Forever Stamp - Bioluminescent Life: Marine Worm (Flotas)

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US #5270
2018 Marine Worm – Bioluminescent Life

  • Pictures a bioluminescent marine worm
  • One of 10 stamps showcasing the wonders of bioluminescence in nature


Stamp Category: 
Commemorative
Set:  Bioluminescent Life
Value:  50¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  February 22, 2018
First Day City:  Fort Pierce, Florida
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper, block tag
Other:  These stamps are highly reflective with a rainbow holographic-style effect

Why the stamp was issued:  To celebrate different organisms capable of generating their own light (bioluminescent).

About the stamp design:  Pictures an existing photograph of a bioluminescent marine worm taken by Dr. Edith Widder.

Rainbow reflectivity:  According to the USPS, these stamps were “produced using a proprietary rainbow holograph material that is highly reflective in white light.  The stamps were produced using special techniques to enhance the reflective qualities of the material while maintaining the depth of color and detail of the individual images.  The rainbow pattern imparts a sense of movement and light to the stamp pane.”

About the Bioluminescent Life set:  Includes 10 designs picturing existing photographs of bioluminescent organisms taken by Dr. Edith Widder, Taylor F. Lockwood, Gail Shumway, and Steve Haddock.  The creatures pictured are:  deep ocean octopus, midwater jellyfish, deep sea comb jelly, mushroom, firefly, bamboo coral, marine worm, crown jellyfish, a different marine worm, and a sea pen.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce, Florida, not far from the Ocean Research and Conservation Association headquarters (ORCA).  The organization’s CEO and Senior Scientist, Dr. Edith Widder, provided photographs for seven of the stamps images and was also in attendance at the First Day of Issue Ceremony.

History the stamp represents:  Near the ocean floor off the coast of California, small worms known as flotas light up bright blue.

Flotas are members of the Polychaeta class, which has over 10,000 species.  These worms are often referred to as bristle worms.  They have small fleshy appendages called parapodia that are covered with small bristles (called chaetea), which is where they get their nickname.

There are currently only two known species of flota worms – Flota vitjasi and Flota flabelligera – though scientists believe moe will soon be identified.  Flota worms generally measure about one inch in length and less than a quarter of an inch wide.  They have a retractable head, which can be tucked down into a sheath in their necks, or stick out when they are eating.  Flota worms are most often found near the ocean floor.  They use their parapodia to gather food and to swim.  They are not very fast swimmers and have been described as “swimming Vienna sausages.”

In the darker depths of the ocean, flota worms emit a bright blue glow from the tops of their parapodia.  While scientists do not yet know what causes this, it is possible they use their glow to ward off predators, similar to many other deep-sea creatures.

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US #5270
2018 Marine Worm – Bioluminescent Life

  • Pictures a bioluminescent marine worm
  • One of 10 stamps showcasing the wonders of bioluminescence in nature


Stamp Category: 
Commemorative
Set:  Bioluminescent Life
Value:  50¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  February 22, 2018
First Day City:  Fort Pierce, Florida
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper, block tag
Other:  These stamps are highly reflective with a rainbow holographic-style effect

Why the stamp was issued:  To celebrate different organisms capable of generating their own light (bioluminescent).

About the stamp design:  Pictures an existing photograph of a bioluminescent marine worm taken by Dr. Edith Widder.

Rainbow reflectivity:  According to the USPS, these stamps were “produced using a proprietary rainbow holograph material that is highly reflective in white light.  The stamps were produced using special techniques to enhance the reflective qualities of the material while maintaining the depth of color and detail of the individual images.  The rainbow pattern imparts a sense of movement and light to the stamp pane.”

About the Bioluminescent Life set:  Includes 10 designs picturing existing photographs of bioluminescent organisms taken by Dr. Edith Widder, Taylor F. Lockwood, Gail Shumway, and Steve Haddock.  The creatures pictured are:  deep ocean octopus, midwater jellyfish, deep sea comb jelly, mushroom, firefly, bamboo coral, marine worm, crown jellyfish, a different marine worm, and a sea pen.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce, Florida, not far from the Ocean Research and Conservation Association headquarters (ORCA).  The organization’s CEO and Senior Scientist, Dr. Edith Widder, provided photographs for seven of the stamps images and was also in attendance at the First Day of Issue Ceremony.

History the stamp represents:  Near the ocean floor off the coast of California, small worms known as flotas light up bright blue.

Flotas are members of the Polychaeta class, which has over 10,000 species.  These worms are often referred to as bristle worms.  They have small fleshy appendages called parapodia that are covered with small bristles (called chaetea), which is where they get their nickname.

There are currently only two known species of flota worms – Flota vitjasi and Flota flabelligera – though scientists believe moe will soon be identified.  Flota worms generally measure about one inch in length and less than a quarter of an inch wide.  They have a retractable head, which can be tucked down into a sheath in their necks, or stick out when they are eating.  Flota worms are most often found near the ocean floor.  They use their parapodia to gather food and to swim.  They are not very fast swimmers and have been described as “swimming Vienna sausages.”

In the darker depths of the ocean, flota worms emit a bright blue glow from the tops of their parapodia.  While scientists do not yet know what causes this, it is possible they use their glow to ward off predators, similar to many other deep-sea creatures.