You searched for: “noctilucas
noctiluca (s) (noun), noctilucas (pl)
1. A plankton of large, spherical, reddish protozoa that produce glowing brightness: When present in large groups, the noctilucas make the sea appear luminous or sparkling at night.
2. Any marine animalcule that produces a phosphorescent appearance in the sea: Sailing off the west coast of the continent, Jimmy and the sailors noticed a considerable variety of noctiluca floating in the water.
3. Etymology: from New Latin Noctiluca, genus name; from Latin noctiluca, "lantern, moon"; from nocti-, "night" + lucere, "to shine".