Sea-Firefly

bioluminescence · ocean · crustacean · Japan

Glowing superpower. Sea-fireflies produce their own blue light through a chemical reaction, making them look like underwater stars twinkling in the water at night.

Tiny crustacean. Despite their magical appearance, sea-fireflies are ostracods, which are small relatives of shrimp and crabs that live on the ocean floor.

Japan's unique species. While most sea-fireflies live in warm waters around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, Vargula hilgendorfii is the only one of its kind living in Japanese waters.

Disappearing slowly. These glowing creatures used to be much more common in Japan, but their numbers have dropped significantly over time, making them harder to spot today.