Creature Name: Fireflea (fy ru flee)
Height: 0.7 m
Wingspan: 1 m
Mass: 15 kg
Homeworld: Zebes

The Fireflea is an unusual creature. It is very weak, and will be destroyed from the slightest damage, even if only touched by an enemy. The Fireflea exists in regions in which, for some reason, no bioluminescent microorganisms or plants live. The Fireflea produces its own light, which lights the area. Whether the Fireflea lives in that area and produces light because there is no light or whether the normal bioluminescent organisms are absent as a result of the Firefleas is not clear. Either way, the fact remains that pretty much no creature will kill Firefleas, so the Firefleas do not need armor. The bioluminescent reactions are normally endothermic, but are unstable. Structural damage to the Fireflea causes the reactions to go out of control. The resulting exothermic reaction destroys the Fireflea.

Other creatures depend on the Firefleas for navigation in darkened rooms, so they never harm Firefleas. The only creature that is willing to kill Firefleas is the blind Yapping Maw, which often inhabits the same rooms. For that reason Firefleas tend to stay out of the reach of nearby Yapping Maws. Firefleas reproduce asexually by releasing a single fully formed baby at a time. They reproduce asexually, so no partner is needed. The baby flies the moment it is out of the parent and never touches solid ground until the day it dies. It is not known what Firefleas eat.