Sea fireflies may glow like the fireflies that send out backyard beacons at night, but that"s about where the similarities end between the two species. Scientists call the bioluminescent crustaceans washing over these rocks Vargula hilgendorfii, and here in Japan they"re commonly known as umi-hotaru. They"re visible at night in the shallow sea waters and beaches of Japan, although other species of the genus Vargula can be seen glowing in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and off the California coast.
Sea fireflies at the seashore
Today in History
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A long winter’s nap, perhaps?
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Pride Month
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World Teachers Day
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Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
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Yellowstone for the National Park Services birthday
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Happy Halloween!
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Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
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Making it work—in Norway
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National Hispanic Heritage Month
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Shakespeare Day
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Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
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World Penguin Day
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Exploring the Pearl of the Atlantic
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A winter wonderland in Northeast China
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An island hopper s paradise
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International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin, China
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Bathing huts in Skåne County, Sweden
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Fall Astronomy Week
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The beach at Cala Luna, Sardinia, Italy
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Looking down upon Edinburgh
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A palace for the public
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Beyond Walls for World Refugee Day
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Siblings Day
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International Day of Light
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I see one!
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Hut, hut, hike!
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Stop and see the flowers
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Who s hiding in the kelp?
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Paris is photo-ready this week
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Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri