Marine Bioluminescence

A variety of sea creatures produce light by a variety of chemistries.

Bioluminescence serves many purposes in the marine environment.

Variety

Microscopic: Bacteria, dinoflagellates, Radiolarians Anthozoa: Sea fans, Soft corals, Sea pens, Sea

psansies Molluscs: Sea slugs, Boring bivalves, Cuttlefish,

Squid,Vampire squid, Octopods

Variety (continued)

Arthropods: Copepods, Ostracods Malacostraca, Opossum shrimp, Amphipods, Euphausiids (Krill), Decapod shrimp

Hemichordates (Acorn worms) Chordates Tunicates: Sea squirts; Pyrosomes (Fire

cylinders); Larvaceans Vertebrates:Sharks, Anchovies, Gulper eels

Some of the molecules

Purpose of Bioluminescence

It can light the way to find food (flashlight fish) Attract prey (angler fish, viper fish)

Purpose of Bioluminescence (continued)

It can be used to attract a mate (the loosejaw fish uses light in its cheeks

Purpose of Bioluminescence (continued)

It can use bioluminescence for protection (deep sea shrimp project light into the approaching predator, temporarily blinding it)

Acknowledgements

Bar Harbor Bioscience: http://www.bioscience-explained.org/EN1.1/pdf/BiolumEN.pdf Univ. Calif Santa Barbara http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/milkysea.html