sea firefly; seed shrimp
A small bioluminescent crustacean (Vargula hilgendorfii) found in coastal waters of Japan. Often noted for its blue glow.
The sea fireflies were glowing blue in the sea at night.
Katakana spelling is common for this organism; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the word is normally written in kana.
Compound of 海 (umi, 'sea') and 蛍 (hotaru, 'firefly'), referring to its marine habitat and bioluminescence.