Firefly Squids

R287

Issue Firefly Squids Prefecture Toyama Date of Issue 26 April 1999 (Heisei 11) Denomination 80 yen Design Firefly Squids Quantity 6,000,000 copies Image Area 27.0 x 22.5 millimeters Printing Photogravure in 5 colours Sheet 20 stamps (5 x 4) Designer Ishida Shunryou Sold at Post offices in Hokuriku, and the appointed post offices (see the menu page) First Day of Issue Postmark Namekawa Post Office Catalog No. R287 Firefly Squids, Pane Issue Firefly Squids, Pane Price 800 yen (80 yen x 10) Pane Size 160.0 x 51.0 millimeters Pane 10 stamps (5 x 2) Catalog No. R287P

Japanese Stamp Specialized Catalog (JSCA) & SAKURA Catalog numbers are adopted.

R287 & RP121: Firefly squids are 4 to 6 centimeters in length, and have about 1,000 luminous organs in each body. They live in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean along Japan between southern Hokkaidou and Mie, usually in 200 to 1,000 meter deep. Around March to may, however, firefly squids come up to the surface to spawn, which make the sea surface glow blue-green. That is appointed as one of the National Natural Monuments in Japan.