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Bioluminescent Invertebrates

Last updated 4 months ago

Bioluminescence is an organism's ability to make light by way of a chemical reaction. Animals use bioluminescence to attract prey or mates and to defend themselves against predators. Most organisms that live in the deep oceans can emit light. Bioluminescent fishes, jellyfish, squids, salps, crustaceans, and many different kinds of worms produce spectacular underwater fireworks. On land, bioluminescence is a rare phenomenon limited mostly to arthropods and fungi.

Click on the thumbnails below to see pictures and videos of bioluminescent invertebrates. Also have a look at Edith Widder's TED Presentation: The weird, wonderful world of bioluminescence.

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