February 11, 2021: Sea Pen
Image courtesy of NOAA Bioluminescence and Vision on the Deep Seafloor 2015. Download larger version (jpg, 141 KB).
In situ photograph of a sea pen (left) and photo of light emitted from the same animal (right), taken during the Bioluminescence and Vision on the Deep Seafloor 2015 expedition.
Much about bioluminescence, or the ability of animals to make their own light, remains a mystery to scientists. For example, most bioluminescence seems to only occur when an animal is being touched, and scientists are unsure what the purpose of this is. They think it protects the animal in a number of ways, including blinding or startling an opponent, misleading them by detaching a glowing body part, or possibly attracting animals that eat the opponent. However, as is so often true in science, scientists have a long way to go before being able confirm these ideas.
From: Beautiful Life.