Marphysa sanguinea; rock worm; Korean rockworm
A species of large marine polychaete worm, often used as bait in fishing. The Japanese name literally means 'rock beach worm'.
See also: イワムシ
I often use rock worms as fishing bait.
Rock worms live in sandy mud among rocky shores.
岩虫 (いわむし) is a broader term for various rock-dwelling marine worms, while イワイソメ specifically refers to Marphysa sanguinea.
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
Rare kanji spelling; the characters mean 'rock', 'beach', 'earthworm'.
Rare kanji spelling; the characters mean 'rock', 'beach', 'order'.
Formed from 岩, “rock,” and イソメ, a general name for marine annelid worms. The name refers to a rock-dwelling species of イソメ.