They hunt at night at around 600 feet and then drop back down to 1200 feet during the day to rest. The firefly squid is named after firefly insects and it produces light in much the same way. They are known to glow bright blue when they are disturbed. Firefly Squid firefly squid | image by Circe Denyerįirefly squid, also known as the sparkling enope squid, is found in the western Pacific Ocean between 600-1200 feet depths. Due to their native habitat being hard to explore, little more is known about these reclusive sharks.ĥ. These lantern sharks are found off the coasts of South America and are usually found around 900-1200 feet deep in the ocean. It is also thought to help them avoid predation from larger deep-sea animals. You may also like: 13 Animals That Have Recently Gone Extinctĭwarf lantern sharks have photophores on their bellies that help them to be bioluminescent. The light they produce helps them to attract small fish and shrimp that they feed on. These tiny sharks are smaller than a human hand and max out at 8 inches. The smallest species of shark in the world is the dwarf lantern shark. When the male anglerfish finds a female he believes to be suitable, he will attach himself to her and live on her until she is ready to mate. Strangely, only female anglerfish have a bioluminescent bauble and they use it to attract mates. Things like dead fish, sea mammals, and even birds often sink down to the anglers that feast on them. Here it is so dark that anglerfish have a hard time seeing each other and seeing their prey.Īnglerfish are carnivorous and while they do lure in fish with their lights and are known to catch live fish, the main part of their diet is dead matter that has sunken to the bottom of the ocean. There are over 260 species of anglerfish and all of them live in the deep sea. It’s thought that this is due in part to habitat loss and partly due to light pollution keeping them from effectively communicating with each other. Sadly, fireflies are not nearly as prevalent as they were 20 years ago. These nocturnal creatures use their ability to glow as a way to communicate with other fireflies and as a way to warn off predators. These insects are able to glow, or be bioluminescent, thanks to a chemical reaction in their bodies. Also commonly called lightning bugs, these insects have sparked many myths and children’s stories, as well as a popular song by a band called Owl City. There are over 2000 species of fireflies in the world. Fireflies firefly at night | image by Takashi Ota via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 They are relatively easy to care for and can make great pets with proper socialization.Ģ. Gray short-tailed opossums are commonly found in the pet trade in the US and Europe. They can have up to 13 babies four times a year and they stay in their mother’s pouch for 3-4 weeks. Short-tailed opossums, unlike most other marsupials, have a very basic pouch which is really just a flap of skin. These opossums are marsupials, which means their babies are born underdeveloped and spend time in their mother’s pouch. It’s not known exactly why opossums developed this trait, but when exposed to black lights they not only glow, they are hot pink! Recently it was discovered that short-tailed opossums fluoresce under black light. They feed on small rodents, frogs, lizards, insects, and fruit. Short-tailed opossums are native to the rainforests of Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina. Gray Short-tailed Opossum gray short-tailed opossum | image by Dawson via Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 2.5 From all corners of the earth and sea, these creatures are bound to blow you away. In this article, we will take a look at 8 animals that glow in the dark. Whatever the reason, there is no denying the beauty of these animals and their natural light-emitting powers. Insects, fish, and even some mammals have developed bioluminescence and fluorescence, though science has yet to figure out some of the ecological benefits to these animals’ glow. Animals that glow in the dark are incredible feats of nature.
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