Sea fireflies at the seashore Aug 11, 2020

Sea fireflies at the seashore

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.

© tdub_video/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 11, 2018Lace up your hiking boots for Mountain Day
Aug 11, 2019Storm rolls over the grasslands
Aug 11, 2021Everyone s watching the Perseids
Aug 11, 2022It s Mountain Day in Japan
Aug 11, 2023Edinburgh Art Festival
Aug 11, 2024Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 22, 2018Join us in celebrating World Water Day
Jan 14, 2023Feast of the Donkey
Jan 18, 2024Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
Aug 17, 2020A giant relic in Java
Apr 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah
May 30, 2023Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California
May 21, 2022Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Jul 3, 2022Dog days of summer
Jul 3, 2020Dog days of summer
Dec 30, 2019Sky island views
Jun 21, 2021The tallest animal in the world on the longest day of the year
Mar 21, 2022World Poetry Day
Apr 22, 2024Earth Day
Apr 27, 2021Design for Each and All
Jun 1, 2022World Reef Day
Oct 23, 2020Saskatchewan s spookier side
Apr 1, 2025National Frog Month
Apr 21, 2023Procida, Italy
May 20, 2025World Bee Day
Jan 5, 2022National Bird Day
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose in Denali National Park, Alaska
May 21, 2024International Tea Day
Mar 27, 2022World Theatre Day
Jan 28, 2023The Bahamas as seen from the ISS
Mar 4, 2021The most wonderful day of the year. Period.
May 24, 2024European Day of Parks
Apr 3, 2025National Find a Rainbow Day
Dec 25, 2018Happy holidays!
May 25, 2020Here we mark the price of freedom