Corals of Mayotte

 

Mayotte Post released the unique souvenir sheet stamp, consist of four stamps presents corals on July 2, 2007. The species are depicted Acropora palmata, Gorgone eventail, the Staghorn coral, Brain coral which are found in Mayotte. 

Corail corne d’elan or Elk horn coral (Acropora palmata) is a leading corals forming coral reefs of the Caribbean . Acroporas grow in the coral reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

It has a complex structure with many large branches that form a habitat for various reef dwellers such as lobsters , the parrotfish .

 

Coral colonies horned elk grow incredibly fast (5 to 10 cm per year) and can reach a diameter of 3.50 meters. Its color varies from brown to yellowish-brown. The result of a symbiosis with zooxanthellae living within the coral tissues. This alga performs photosynthesis and pourvoie the coral nutrients .

Red Cardinal Fody

 

Mayotte Post issued  a stamp feature bird species, Red Cardinal Fody on January 12, 2009. It is a common bird found in forest clearings, grasslands and cultivated areas.

The Red Cardinal  Fody , sometimes known as Foudia madagascariensis , is a small bird native to Madagascar. It has been introduced to other areas of the Indian Ocean, included the Amirantes, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius and Réunion.The population tend to stable and  species is evaluated as Least Concern. 

 

The Red Fody is about 5 inches in length and weighs 14–19 grams. The male of the species is bright red with black markings around each eye. Its wings and tail are olive-brown. The female fody's upper body is olive-brown and its underbody is greyish-brown.

The Swordfish

Swordfish are large , highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill.  They have characteristics are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood.

 

On April 7, 2003, Mayotte Post issued one stamp feature the Swordfish as part of their fauna stamp series. Swordfish found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and can typically be found from near the surface to a depth of 550 m .They commonly reach 3 m  in length.

Mainly the swordfish relies on its great speed and agility in the water to catch its prey. Their  speed average of 60 mph .They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive.

Swordfish are vigorous, powerful fighters. When hooked or harpooned, they have been known to dive so quickly that they have impaled their swords into the ocean bottom up to their eyes. Although there are no reports of unprovoked attacks on humans, swordfish can be very dangerous when harpooned. They have run their swords through the planking of small boats when hurt.

Birds of Mayotte

 

Mayotte Post  issued a set of four stamps features birds species on September 21, 2012. The issues are depicting birds of Mayotte , i.e: Souimanga, Drongo, Faudy,  and Oiseau-lunette.

Souimanga

The Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae. 

 

The Souimanga Sunbird is 10 cm long with a wingspan of 13 cm.The black bill is long, thin and curved. It is native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where it occurs on Madagascar, the Aldabra Group and the Glorioso Islands.

Males of the nominate subspecies have a metallic green head, back and throat. The breast is blackish with a more or less continuous red band while the belly is yellow and the wings and tail are brown. There are yellow tufts at the sides of the breast which become visible when the birds lift their wings in courtship display