Glowing blue objects turning up on Toyama beach
TOYAMA —
The photo at left has been showing up on various websites recently depicting glowing blue objects lining up along a shore. This beach is in Toyama, and for the locals, this isn’t such a crazy sight.
These are firefly squids who spend their days in the deep Pacific Ocean only to go hunting near the ocean’s surface when the sun goes down.
The reason for their blue glow resembling a new streetlight is bioluminescence, which is a chemical reaction inherent in some animals that cause them to generate light such as these guys’ namesake, the firefly.
The glowing parts are located on half of their limbs and at points along their backs. Their undersides don’t glow to protect them from predators. It may be hard to tell from the picture but the squids are quite small measuring only a few inches in length.
If you’d like to learn more about them, then swing by the Hotaru Ika Museum (Firefly Squid Museum) also in Toyama.
Source: Livedoor Drazuli (Japanese)
Firefly Squid Museum: Website (Japanese)
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23 Comments
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3
CrazyJoe
I'd like to eat one. Squids are delicious.
1
Guza!
Aliens! lol jk but thats really cool would like to see that in person some day
1
cleo
When I lived in Toyama hospitable locals used to love serving up these little creatures as a local delicacy. Virtually any invitation to a meal came with a guarantee that there would be hotaru ika on the table at some point. The one (fire)fly in the ointment in what is otherwise a very nice part of Japan.
-7
the-grouch
I hope this is not a forecast that a big earthquake is hitting Japan any time soon. The Tohoku area is still in a state of shock even though they are moving along. Anyway, this is a wicked picture. I like it a lot actually.
1
Harry_Gatto
Do they bite? Seriously.
4
papigiulio
Bugs or fish that glow in the dark, nature is so amazing sometimes.
-3
basroil
Another horribly misleading headline from rocketnews...
Those squids are pretty cool, just a shame they aren't really all that bright.
-4
Seawolf
Hotaru Ika is really delicious, especially that variety where they are "drowned"/ put in Sake directly from the sea, used as a rice topping.
0
Disillusioned
Crazyjoe - Squid is a non-count noun. :P
Yeah, pretty cool! We have similar ones in lake Macquarie in oz, but they glow green.
1
Kevin Goody
wow ive never seen anything like that before
1
deepstar6
Spectaculor view! Nature's own Hanabi.
-1
Lowly
Nice pic
0
Rounin78
This is amazingly cool!
-1
FightingViking
What ? Even MORE radioactive than the ones over here ?
0
smithinjapan
Looks beautiful. I would love to see that in person.
-1
timtak
I find that there are a lot of bioluminescent creatures in the Seto Inland Sea at this time of year. When I swim at night my strokes leave a wake of glowing green.
-3
Elbuda Mexicano
Quite beautiful indeed!!!
0
zichi
Could be turned into an interesting blue glowing alcohol.
0
It"S ME
zichi.
Only if you like life squid.
BTW, there are already many glowing cocktails out there.
0
kurumazaka
Save the ocean, eat squid and jellyfish! Hotaru ika rock!
0
Ambarish Pokhrel
Exactly waht is this
-1
Tokiyo
What are they? Well it says right there in the 2nd paragraph - they are firefly squid, a species of bioluminescent squid that emit their own light.
0
Gaijintoday
I want one.
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