Imagine more than 30 sea creatures swimming into your mail box!

The first U.S. stamps of 2004, released last week, feature colorful images of a variety of sea creatures that live beneath the surface in the coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

United States Postal Service

If you have never heard of or seen such creatures as the clown triggerfish, prickly red sea cucumber, wedge Picasso fish or the reef blacktip shark, you will have the opportunity to view this array on a pane of 10 stamps.

The Pacific Coral Reef stamp pane is the sixth in the Nature of America series promoting the appreciation of America’s major plant and animal communities. It is the first in the series to show the beauty and complexity of an aquatic ecosystem.

Previous issues in the Nature of America series were the Sonora Desert pane of 10 in 1999, Pacific Coast Rain Forest in 2000, Great Plains Prairie in 2001, Longleaf Pine Forest in 2002 and Arctic Tundra in 2003.

The first-day-of-issue postmarks of the Pacific Coral Reef stamps can be ordered by mail. You can purchase the stamps at your local post office. Attach the stamps to the envelope of your choice, address the envelopes and place in a larger envelope addressed to: Pacific Coral Reef Stamps, 3600 Aolele St., Honolulu HI 96820-3670. All orders must be postmarked by Feb. 1, 2004.