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May 2, 2019 · How bioluminescence works in nature. Most ocean animals produce their own light or host bacteria that do—a useful skill for communication, finding prey, camouflage, and more.
Aug 6, 2019 · A glowing light can also signal to predators that the potential prey is toxic, or even serve as a warning sign for others that a predator is in the area. Light can help animals mate, too. Bioluminescent signals can attract a potential mate, or help the animals tell the difference between other males and females.
Oct 19, 2023 · Some bioluminescent organisms do not synthesize luciferin. Instead, they absorb it through other organisms, either as food or in a symbiotic relationship. Some species of midshipman fish, for instance, obtain luciferin through the "seed shrimp" they consume. Many marine animals, such as squid, house bioluminescent bacteria in their light organs.
Marine worms, sea cucumbers, sea stars and many types of phytoplankton also emit light. Bioluminescence involves a chemical reaction inside the animal’s cells. For some animals, those cells are located in a special light organ called a photophore that can look like a spotlight. Other organisms take on a more general glow.
But usually, the animal itself contains the chemicals necessary for the reaction that produces bioluminescence. The number of species that bioluminesce and the variations in the chemical reactions that produce light are evidence that bioluminescence has evolved many times over—at least 40 separate times!
In marine coastal habitats, about 2.5% of organisms are estimated to be bioluminescent, whereas in pelagic habitats in the eastern Pacific, about 76% of the main taxa of deep-sea animals have been found to be capable of producing light. [38] More than 700 animal genera have been recorded with light-producing species. [39]
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Bioluminescent organisms produce and radiate light. There are thousands of bioluminescent animals, including species of fishes, squid, shrimps and jellyfish. The light these creatures emit is created inside their bodies, meaning they are able to glow and glitter in complete darkness. Some of the planet's bioluminescent animals live in the deep ...
