also: るりすずめだい
sapphire devil; Chrysiptera cyanea
A small, brilliant blue damselfish common in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. Often seen in aquariums.
I saw a school of sapphire devils at the aquarium.
Hiragana spelling; less common than katakana but still encountered.
Rarely used kanji form.
The Japanese name combines 瑠璃 (lapis lazuli, deep blue) with 雀鯛 (damselfish). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it describes the fish's vivid blue color.