On the occasion of the World Wildlife Fund's 50th anniversary, the folks at Maltapost have issued a four-stamp set featuring the remarkable Chimaera monstrosa L., 1758.
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| Chimaera monstrosa L., 1758 on a Maltapost 2011 issue |
Known in Maltese as Fenek il-Baħar (lit. sea rabbit), this is a cartilaginous fish, closely related to sharks, commonest at depths of between 500 and 800 metres in the Mediterranean and the East Atlantic. Populations are threatened by the fishing industry and may soon be categorized as 'vulnerable' under IUCN criteria.
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