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- 1. Jellyfish
- 2. Scorpio
- 3. Firefly
- 4. Squid Firefly
- 5. Antarctic krill
- 6. Lantern fish
- 7. Hawksbill Jellyfish
What is bioluminescence? By definition, this is when certain living organisms emit visible light. Of all species of bioluminescent creatures discovered in the world, 80% inhabit the depths of Planet Earth's oceans.
In fact, due mainly to darkness, almost all creatures that live far below the surface glow. However, others are really a light or seem to carry a light bulb with them. These creatures are amazing, as both those that live in water and those that live on land... are a phenomenon of nature.
If you like life in the dark, keep reading this Animal Expert article where we tell you about glow-in-the-dark animals. You will certainly be surprised.
1. Jellyfish
The jellyfish is the first on our list, as it is one of the best known and most popular within this luminous group, as well as being one of the most spectacular. With its body, the jellyfish, it can create a scene filled with resplendent light.
This can be done because your body contains the fluorescent protein, photo-proteins and other bioluminescent proteins. Jellyfish radiate bright light at night when they feel a little irritated or as a method of attracting their prey who are sure to be mesmerized by their beauty.
2. Scorpio
Scorpions don't glow in the dark, but shine under ultraviolet light, when exposed to certain wavelengths, emitting a bright blue-green fluorescence. In fact, if the moonlight is very intense, they can shine a little under these conditions.
Although experts have studied this phenomenon in scorpions for several years, the exact reason for this reaction is not yet known. However, they comment that it is likely that they use this mechanism to measure light levels at night and thus determine if it is appropriate to go hunting. It can also be used to recognize each other.
3. Firefly
The firefly is that little insect that lights up gardens and forests. They live in temperate and tropical environments and over 2000 species have been discovered. Fireflies glow due to chemical processes that occur in your body caused by the consumption of oxygen. This process releases energy and later transforms it into cold light, this light is emitted by the organs below your abdomen and can have different colors such as: yellow, green and red.
4. Squid Firefly
And speaking of marine animals that glow in the dark, we have to speak of firefly squid. Every year on the coast of Japan, specifically in the toyama bay during the months of March and May, which is their mating season, firefly squids and their fascinating natural spectacle of bioluminescence are observed, which occurs when moonlight performs a chemical reaction with its outer membranes .
5. Antarctic krill
This marine creature, a crustacean whose length varies between 8 and 70 mm is among the most important animals in the Antarctic food chain, as it constitutes a great source of food for many other predatory animals such as seals, penguins and birds. Krill have numerous organs that can give off a greenish-yellow light for 3 seconds at a time. This crustacean is said to light up to avoid predators from the deep, blending in and blending in with the glow of the sky and the ice on the surface.
6. Lantern fish
This animal was the inspiration for one of the villains in the famous movie Finding Nemo. And not surprisingly, their large jaws and teeth frighten anyone. This poor glow-in-the-dark fish is listed as one of the ugliest animals in the world, but at Animal Expert, we simply find it very interesting. This fish has in its head a kind of lantern with which it illuminates the dark ocean floor and which attracts both its fangs and its sexual partners.
7. Hawksbill Jellyfish
Although little known, this type of jellyfish are very abundant in seas around the world, constituting a large proportion of plankton biomass. They are very strange, and although some are jellyfish-shaped (and therefore grouped in this family), others look like flattened worms. Unlike other jellyfish, these don't bite and produce bioluminescence as a defense mechanism. Many hawksbill jellyfish have a single pair of tentacles that let a kind of luminous vein pass through.
Now that you know about these glow-in-the-dark animals, also check out the 7 rarest marine animals in the world.
