The MaltaPost issue consists of two stamps. The first features the smooth starfish (scientific name: Hacelia attenuate), known in Maltese as “Stilla ħamra lixxa”, carries a denomination of €1.50 and was photographed by Prof. Alan Deidun of the University of Malta.
The smooth starfish, commonly found in Maltese waters, is an echinoderm belonging to the class Asteroidea. It is a marine invertebrate with five arms that radiate from a central disc. The upper surface may be smooth or granular and brightly coloured in various shades of red or orange. Starfish possess tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the centre of the lower surface.
Mantle length with arms up to 1 m long. It lives for 1-2 years and may weigh up to 9 kg. At dusk, it hunts crabs, crayfish, and bivalve mollusks and can change its colour to blend in with its surroundings.
