Different animals blow our minds with different unique features, from soft furs to shiny skin. However, we don’t often talk about animals that glow beautifully- and we’re not talking about the popular firefly alone. Especially beneath the oceans, several animals beautify wherever they are with their brilliant glow. Here are five animals that glow- get ready to be mesmerized.
Angler Fish
The carnivorous angler fish looks quite as scary as expected- except that it also has a beautiful part. The female fish has a long lure extending from its back; the end of this lure usually lights up, creating a beautiful bioluminescent glow.
This glow effectively attracts prey; since the lure is close to the teeth of the fish, it’s a convenient tool for providing food. Also, the glow of the lure helps the female fish find a male partner for mating- so it’s also a signal.
Krill
These tiny crustaceans are not so famous as they often end up as food for bigger marine animals. However, they have a distinct and mindblowing feature that makes them special- they can produce light.
While all of them can produce light from their bodies, a few of them can even direct their light to a particular area. As for the reason why they glow or the kind of signal they pass, it remains unknown to date, but scientists believe it might have to do with mating.
Tomopteris
A genus of small floating marine organisms called plankton, Tomopteris is a special type. You may have heard that many planktons glow- and that’s true. However, Tomopteris produces a unique yellow bioluminescent glow.
It is believed that Tomopteris distracts predators by producing glowing particles from the leg-like protrusions of their bodies. Considering that they are usually about an inch in size, they sure need a method of evading predators.
Firefly Squid
The firefly squid is one of the few squid species that can glow. After spending the winter in the deep sea, they come out to the shores of Japan in all of their glory- glowing brilliantly.
They produce blue light through the photo pores all over their bodies; these photo pores are organs that consist of shutters, reflectors, lenses, and color filters. These squids can produce light in any pattern they want. Sadly, the glow makes them easy prey.
Jellyfish
The jellyfish is known to be one of the most bioluminescent animals on Earth; about half of the jellyfish species glow. By glowing in the dark, a jellyfish can disguise itself like a zooplankton to find its prey.
Most types of glowing jellyfish glow brightly to startle predators and evade them. Some types of jellyfish produce glowing light to distract their predators. So their glow helps them avoid being prey and also helps them find prey.
