Firefly squid (Hotaruika) - Firefly squid (English spelling)

Japanese: ホタルイカ(蛍烏賊) - ホタルイカ（英語表記）firefly squid

A small squid (illustration) of the family Ophiopodiaceae in the class Cephalopoda. Local names include Matsuika and Gumiika. It is found throughout the Sea of Japan, and on the Pacific coast from Hokkaido south to the Kumano Nada Sea, living at depths of 200-1000m, but females migrate to shallow waters during spawning season. It has granular light-emitting organs all over its body, which emit a beautiful light, and the sea area where they swarm in Uozu City has been designated a Special Natural Monument. It is also well-known as a research subject for bioluminescence. Its mantle is about 5-6cm long, its mantle is elongated and cylindrical, and its fins are diamond-shaped and measure about half the length of the mantle.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

頭足綱ホタルイカモドキ科の小型イカ（イラスト）。地方名マツイカ，グミイカ。日本海全域，太平洋側では北海道以南から熊野灘にかけて分布し，水深200～1000mの深海にすむが，産卵期には浅海に雌が回遊する。全身に粒状の発光器があって，発光して美しく，魚津市の群遊海面は特別天然記念物に指定されている。生物発光の研究材料としても著名である。外套（がいとう）長5～6cmくらいで，外套膜は細長い円筒形で，ひれはひし形で外套膜の1/2くらい。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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