Scott No: 2931
Serial number: 1998-29
Values in set: 8
Sheetlet: 1
Date of issue: December 22, 1998
Designers: Huang Li
Size of stamp:
40*50 mm for Value 4,5
50*30 mm for Value1,2,3,6,7,8
Size of Sheetlet: 190 * 150 mm
Perforation: 11.5
Printing process: gravure

The special stamp set Underwater World – Coral Reef Ornamental Fish, catalog number 1998-29, was issued on December 22, 1998. It consists of eight stamps, printed in the format of a miniature sheet. The stamps were produced using the photogravure process. The stamp sizes are 50×30 mm and 40×50 mm. The perforation gauge is 11.5 degrees. The full sheet measures 190×150 mm. The stamps were designed by Huang Li and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. This stamp set was issued to welcome the 22nd Universal Postal Union Congress and the China 1999 World Stamp Exhibition.

Thematic Focus of the Set

This stamp set features eight representative tropical ornamental fish from the coral reef waters of the South China Sea. The South China Sea coral reef ecosystem is rich in species. Corals provide habitat for numerous marine organisms and are precious marine homes. Through colorful coral reef fish, the stamps showcase the wonderful underwater scenery of the South China Sea, popularize marine biology knowledge, and raise public awareness of protecting coral reefs and safeguarding the marine ecological environment. The bridge design in the center of the miniature sheet features the stamp exhibition emblem, indicating the issuance background of this stamp set.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Emperor Angelfish

The emperor angelfish, also known as the queen angelfish, has a body covered with blue and yellow ring patterns. It is gorgeously colored and often active among coral reef crevices. It is a highly renowned ornamental fish in tropical coral reefs.

Blue-Spotted Coral Grouper

The fish has a reddish base color with bright blue spots scattered across its body. It is robust and is a carnivorous fish in coral reef areas, swimming among coral clusters with a lively posture.

Blue-Spotted Butterflyfish

The body is laterally compressed, with a pale yellow base color and blue markings. Butterflyfish often move in pairs around coral reefs and feed on coral polyps. It is a representative species of the coral reef ecosystem.

Orange-Tailed Butterflyfish

The fish body is pale white, and the tail fin is a striking orange-red. Its outline is soft. It often cruises in shallow coral areas with a light and graceful posture.

Moorish Idol

Also known as the bannerfish, its dorsal fin extends backward into a long, slender streamer. The entire body is covered with black and white stripes. Its form is elegant and flowing, making it a highly recognizable ornamental fish in coral reefs.

Millennium Snapper

The fish body is red with several white horizontal bands. It is full-bodied and inhabits near reef caves and crevices. It is widely distributed in the coral reef waters of the South China Sea.

Round-Spotted Triggerfish

Also called the round-spotted triggerfish, its body has a pale yellow base color with black round spots. It is thick-set and is a distinctive triggerfish species in coral reefs.

Emperor Fish (Royal Empress)

Also known as the emperor angelfish, its body is arranged with diagonal yellow and white stripes. It is luxurious and gorgeous, inhabiting reef environments year-round, and is widely loved by marine enthusiasts.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a realistic painting style, with dark green coral communities as a unified background, recreating the transparent blue underwater atmosphere. The eight fish images are rich and full in color, accurately reproducing the unique markings and forms of each fish, with each of the eight fish in a different pose. The stamps are printed in a miniature sheet format, with a stamp exhibition-themed bridge in the center, bringing eight independent marine life images together on one full sheet. The photogravure printing is delicate, richly presenting the colorful and splendid underwater world. It is a classic work in the category of Chinese marine life stamps.