Bioluminescence in the Deep Sea

Bioluminescence is most prominent in the deep oceans with 80% of creatures living between 200-1000m deep, being bioluminescent (10). There is barely any light and oxygen this deep which creates a challenge for deep sea creatures to communicate, reproduce, and find food because of how dark it is and how little energy these creatures use (10). Bioluminescence is an essential survival advantage that allows organisms to conserve energy, communicate, reproduce, and hunt efficiently (10).

The vampire squid lights up the ocean with its bioluminescent mucus that acts as their ink to distract their predators (2). They are found in tropical to temperate deep seas between 600m - 1200m (1969ft - 3937ft) where the water is 34 - 43 degrees Fahrenheit (1 - 6 degrees Celsius) (2). This is the oxygen minimal layer where there is less than 5% oxygen saturation and little to no light (2). Because of the low oxygen, they have slow metabolisms and use little energy (2).

Lantern fish are deep sea fish that are found worldwide that live about 305m (1,000ft) deep but come to the surface at night to eat (3). They have light-producing organs all over their bodies to blend in with light-speckled water and to confuse predators (4). The arrangement and flashing patterns of their bioluminescent bodies are unique to the 245 species of lanternfish which suggests they not only use bioluminescence as a defense mechanism but also to communicate among species (4).

Atolla jellyfish live at about 1,000m-4,000m (3,821ft- 13,123ft) deep worldwide (5). They have a transparent crown that flashes bioluminescence to attract their prey or to scare predators (5). They have bright red tentacles but look black in the depths they reside in (5). They have one long tentacle used to capture prey and reproduce (6). They are very simple creatures without a digestive system, a respiratory system, a circulatory system, or a central nervous system (6).

Viperfish are found in the tropical regions of oceans at depths of 500m-2500m (1,640ft- 8,202ft) but at night they travel to shallow water to eat (6). They are lined with bioluminescent organs on the sides of their bodies that they use to attract prey (7). They are called the viperfish because of their long fangs to trap their prey (7).

The Angler fish are most famous for the female's bioluminescent "lure" that attracts their prey right into their mouth (8). Its dorsal fin spine is modified to protrude off its head like a fishing rod (9). Although they can be found in shallow waters, most of them live at greater depths of up to 1000m (3,821ft) in the Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans (9).

Ostracods are incredibly small crustaceans with 8,000 species found in every type of body of water, from the deep sea to freshwater ponds (11). Some species of Ostracods use bioluminescence as a courtship display and a defense mechanism (12). They emit light when they are threatened and sometimes when they are swallowed, so their predator spits them out to avoid being spotted by their predators (12). When they use bioluminescence as a mating tactic, they perform a dance where they flash blue light to impress females (12).

Works cited 

1. Spencer E. 2019 Aug 6. Why Do Animals Glow? A Guide to Bioluminescence - Ocean Conservancy. Ocean Conservancy. [accessed 2024 Nov 28].  https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/08/06/animals-glow-bioluminescence/?ea.tracking.id=23HPXGJAXX&utm_medium=PaidSearch&utm_source=GoogleGrants&utm_campaign=FY23&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo5u6BhDJARIsAAVoDWtlt_fEz_81Uwp4gXfvk8y_uKejjeyiDJAm_PPzzkduwyF59V6RzFEaAhGOEALw_wcB .
2. Aquarium of the Pacific. 2013. Vampire Squid. Aquariumofpacificorg. https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/vampire_squid.
3. ‌Lantern fish | Britannica. 2019. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/lantern-fish.
4. ‌Creature Feature: Lanternfishes. https://twilightzonewhoiedu/. https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/lanternfishes/.
5. ‌Siegel V. 2014. Atolla jellyfish - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. Animaliabio. [accessed 2024 Nov 29]. https://animalia.bio/atolla-jellyfish?environment=1321.
6. News OH 10am-5pm M-S-9WCDA 1 WSN 2010 AP +61 2 9320 6000 www australian museum C © 2022 TAMA 85 407 224 698 VM. Sloane’s Viperfish, Chauliodus sloani Bloch & Schneider, 1801. The Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/sloanes-viperfish-chauliodus-sloani/.
7. ‌The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Viperfish | fish. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/viperfish.
8. ‌National Geographic. 2010 Sep 10. Anglerfish | National Geographic. Animals. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/anglerfish.
9. ‌Anglerfish | fish. 2019. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/anglerfish.
10. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2015. What is bioluminescence?: Ocean Exploration Facts: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Noaagov. https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/bioluminescence.html.‌
11. Ostracods. British Geological Survey. https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/fossils-and-geological-time/ostracods/.
12. Gonzalez MR. You Light Up My World! | Smithsonian Ocean. oceansiedu. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/you-light-my-world.

‌

‌