What types of luminous animals are there? Creative work on the topic: “Luminous animals Animals living in a small amount of light.

Some marine animals, including 180 species of fish, have unique structures in their skin that, when exposed to blue light, allow them to glow neon red, green or orange. This feature is called biofluorescence. It, unlike bioluminescence, which occurs with the help chemical reaction in the bodies of thousands of marine and terrestrial animals, it happens completely differently. First of all, biofluorescence is not the result of a chemical reaction, and the external tissues of animals cannot emit light on their own. Instead, organisms that exhibit fluorescence absorb blue light, transform it, and re-emit it. At the molecular level, this happens as follows. Special fluorescent molecules in the body absorb high-energy photons of blue light. When these photons collide with fluorescent molecules, the latter become “excited” to the point that their electrons become high-energy. After being “excited,” the electrons quickly return to their original state, but during this “relaxation,” they release energy in the form of photons. But because the electrons expended energy when they were “excited,” they emit photons at a lower energy level than those that were absorbed. In other words, the body begins to emit long-wavelength light, such as green, yellow or orange. Marine animals that exhibit biofluorescence constantly absorb the blue light present in the ocean. It is known that light is absorbed by water molecules, organic and inorganic substances, dissolved in water, and phytoplankton. Thus, infrared and red light are completely absorbed top layers water, only green-blue light penetrates into the deep layers of the ocean, and at depths of more than 100 meters only blue light remains. Biofluorescence is characteristic of marine life inhabiting different layers of the ocean. These include, for example, the cat shark, some representatives of the families of scorpionfish and triple-finned fish, as well as corals. According to scientists, this phenomenon is especially common among secretive fish that hide in corals and cracks on the bottom. Today, researchers cannot say for sure how animals use biofluorescence. However, according to the most common version, they need this feature to communicate with each other. Moreover, this method allows fish to exchange signals secretly, remaining invisible to predators. After all, it is known that not all fish have the ability to see neon light, but only species with special structure eye. However, scientists have yet to explore this issue more deeply. Interestingly, some animal species can emit multiple colors of light. For example, most of the body seahorse Hippocampus erectus emits a red light, but there are green luminous inclusions around the animal’s eyes.

Stories of studying living creatures glowing in the dark have already more than three hundreds of years. And this is only the scientific approach itself, and not observations of the wonders of living nature. The first evidence of a mysterious glow, in particular of sea waters, belongs to Aristotle and Pliny the Elder.

Until the end of the 19th century and even at the beginning of the twentieth century, in ship's logs there are records of sailors about the mesmerizing glow sea water, especially at southern latitudes. This phenomenon was not ignored by travelers, among whom were natural scientists, for example, Charles Darwin in his famous “Voyage of the Beagle.”

Artists who had the opportunity to observe bioluminescence (this is the name of this phenomenon) sought to capture this spectacle with the help of paints - after all, there were simply no digital cameras then. We have reached us with a wonderful color engraving by the Dutch painter Moritz Escher, which depicts a flock of dolphins frolicking in a luminous sea. The artist managed to convey the impression that the sea itself flares up and sparkles.

The first attempt to study the phenomenon of bioluminescence was undertaken in 1668. Robert Boyle (his name is known to many from physics lessons in connection with the Boyle-Mariotte law) studied combustion processes and discovered similarities between the combustion of ordinary coal and the glow of rotten mushrooms: in the absence of oxygen, the glow disappears in both cases.

The first person to undertake a thorough study of the mechanisms of organic luminescence was Raphael Dubois. In 1887, he conducted a series of experiments with extracts from the luminous beetles Pyrophorus. The main result of his work was that two fractions were responsible for the glow: low molecular weight (it was called luciferin) and protein (luciferase), which react differently to changes in temperature.

In the 20s of the last century, Edmund Newton Harvey from Princeton University began work on studying the bioluminescence of crustaceans. He was able to identify and describe in detail the characteristics of luciferin and luciferase in mollusks and crustaceans. Active study of the mechanisms of bioluminescence continues today. In particular, the glow of plankton has not been fully studied, although much has already been clarified in this area.

Mechanisms of bioluminescence

It's not hard to guess that in itself Living being cannot glow. Certain processes must occur as a result of which this mysterious, almost mystical light appears.

If we do not go into details of the physicochemical reactions occurring in the organisms of fireflies, various crustaceans, cephalopods and fish, we get the following picture. Bioluminescence occurs as a result of a number of complex processes, including the oxidation of luciferin. The energy released in this case is not dissipated in the form of heat, but is converted into light radiation.

In order for the processes that cause luminescence to be activated, the luciferin molecule must be brought out of its resting state. The brightness and duration of the glow are also affected by the environment surrounding the molecules. In the absence of oxygen, the glow will not occur.

What animals glow in the dark

Fireflies. This is a family of terrestrial beetles that night look life. During the day they hide in the grass and trees. There are approximately 2 thousand species in the family, living on almost all continents (except Antarctica, naturally). Of the animals that live on land, only fireflies have luminescent organs located in the tail part of their body. All other luminous organisms live in the seas and oceans.

Glowing plankton. The bulk of the plankton consists of small crustaceans, but they are not the only ones that glow. Sea water is transformed into a placer of stars by protozoans called dinoflagellates. The glow is caused by impulses from movement water masses, bringing these single-celled organisms out of dormancy.

Invertebrates. As an example, let’s take such a curious species as Ctenophores. The body of these creatures is like a bag, at one end of which there is a mouth, and at the other, organs of balance. They do not have stinging cells, so ctenophores capture food with their mouths or hunting tentacles. They feed on plankton or smaller ctenophores.

Squid. IN southern seas There are several species of squid, some of which are small in size and even huge. Specifically, the giant squid. This species remained poorly studied until the early 2000s. The first pictures of a living giant squid V natural environment were obtained on September 30, 2004 by Japanese scientists Tsunemi Kubodera and Kyochi Mori.

Sea pen. These living organisms belong to the group of feathery calcareous polyps. Distributed in tropical and subtropical waters Atlantic Ocean And Mediterranean Sea. They live in colonies on sandy or muddy seabeds. There are approximately 300 types of feathers. The glow occurs as a reaction to external stimuli.

Bioluminescence performs various types the following functions:

attracting production or partners
warning or threat
deterrence or distraction
camouflage against natural light sources

There are still many cases where the function of bioluminescence in the life of individual luminous organisms has not been fully determined or has not been studied at all.

Charles Darwin "The Voyage of the Beagle"
Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Bioluminescence".
Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Fireflies".
Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Giant squid".
Magazine "Science and Life", No. 1, 2001. Search for the giant squid.

Many organisms of the plant and animal world are capable of emitting light. On this moment There are about 800 species of such animals, some of which belong to deep-sea inhabitants.

These are unicellular organisms (nightlights), coelenterates (sea pens, hydroids, jellyfish, siphonophores), ctenophores, various crustaceans, mollusks (especially deep-sea squids), worms and echinoderms. But don't forget about the fish, a shining example which are anglerfish.

There is not enough time to talk about all the “glowing in the night”, so we decided to compile the Top 10 most interesting luminous representatives of the deep-sea world.

The sea pen belongs to the group of feathery calcareous polyps. Known for their ability to glow. Glow is the reaction of the polyp to various stimuli. Distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. They live in colonies on sandy or muddy seabeds. They feed on plankton and organic matter. They grow up to 40 centimeters (upper and lower parts), but on the surface their “feather” does not exceed 25 centimeters. In total there are about 300 species.

The hatchet fish lives at a depth of 200-600 meters, but some specimens can be found at a depth of up to 2 kilometers. Thanks to their narrow tail and wide, flat body, they look somewhat like an axe. That's why they got their name. They grow no more than 7-8 centimeters. Predators. Photophores (luminescent organs) are located on the abdomen. During the glow, for fish living at greater depths, its silhouette becomes blurred. Therefore, the ability to glow in these fish serves for camouflage, and not for luring prey, for example, like anglers. Hatchet fish can adjust the intensity of their shine.

Each representative of this type of marine invertebrate animals has “combs” - ridge plates, which are bundles of cilia glued together. The sizes are very varied - from 2-2.5 mm to 3 m (for example, Venus’ belt (Cestum Veneris)). The body is like a bag, at one end of which there is a mouth, and at the other, organs of balance. Ctenophores do not have stinging cells, so food is captured directly by the mouth or by hunting tentacles (in ctenophores of the Tentaculata class). They are hermaphrodites. They feed on plankton, fish fry and other ctenophores.

Bomb worms have been discovered in Pacific Ocean– off the coast of the Philippines, Mexico and the USA. They live at a depth of 1.8 to 3.8 kilometers. Their body consists of segments and bristles attached to them. They swim very well. They do this using wave-like movements of their body. They grow from 2 to 10 centimeters in length.

Their main method of defense is the launch of “bombs” - simple sacs filled with hemolymph - a substance that is the “blood” of invertebrates. When an enemy approaches, these bombs are separated from the worm and begin to luminesce.

It lives at a depth of 500-1000 meters. It is literally dotted with photophores of various sizes, most of which are located on the eyes (on the eyelids and even in the eyeball). Sometimes they merge into solid luminous stripes that surround the eye. He can adjust the intensity of his "headlights". It feeds on fish and various vertebrates. Has an ink sac.

6. Giant deep-sea squid Taningia danae

This is the largest bioluminescent squid. Known to science The specimen reaches a length of 2.3 meters and weighs about 60 kilograms. It lives in tropical and subtropical waters at a depth of about 1000 meters. Aggressive predator. The pursuit speed is 2.5 meters per second. Before attacking, the squid emits short flashes of light using special organs located on its tentacles. There are several assumptions about why he needs these flashes of light:

They help the squid blind its prey;
allow you to measure the distance to the target;
or are an element of courtship.

A bright representative of deep-sea luminous fish. One of the most scary fish in the world. Lives at depths of up to 3000 meters. Distinctive feature is a process on the head of females, at the end of which there is a sac with luminous bacteria. It acts as bait for other deep-sea fish. Anglerfish also feed on crustaceans and cephalopods. Very gluttonous.

With more detailed information You can find out about these fish.

These are deep sea shrimp. Their photophores are located on the body and in special areas of the liver, which are visible through the integument of the body. These shrimp are also capable of releasing a glowing liquid that scares away opponents. In addition, this glow helps them find each other during the breeding season. Each species of these shrimp has certain luminous areas. This helps them differentiate between each other.

9. Hellish vampire or hellish vampire squid (lat. Vampyroteuthis infernalis)

A unique deep-sea animal. Lives in the “minimum oxygen zone.” Small sizes. Emits a glow.

If you want to get to know him better, then you.

We couldn't ignore this fish. The idiot, along with anglerfish, is deep sea fish and swims at depths from 500 to 2000 meters. Habitats are tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. She has a long snake-like body. The length of females is several times greater than the length of males. Not only the scales of the idiotanth glow, but also the long sharp teeth. Here you can get to know this fish better.

Glow is considered a common phenomenon in nature. Therefore, the ability to emit light through a simple chemical reaction, or bioluminescence, is found in at least 50 different species of mushrooms, fireflies and even terrifying sea creatures. With this reaction glowing creatures They derive many benefits for themselves: they drive away predators, attract prey, rid their cells of oxygen, or simply cope with existence in the eternal darkness of the depths of the ocean.

One way or another, luminescence is one of the most ingenious tools of life, and we will present you a list of the most unusual and strange creatures, capable of glowing in the dark. Many of these species are currently on display at American Museum Natural History in New York.

Female and male monkfish

Hell Squid

Glowing jellyfish

What unusual and amazing creatures not found in the sea or in the depths of the ocean. The following green-rimmed purple creatures live in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America. These jellyfish are capable of generating two types of glow at once. Bioluminescent has a purple-blue glow and is produced by a chemical reaction between calcium and protein. And this reaction, in turn, causes a glow around the jellyfish’s rim, forming a green fluorescent protein, and then a green glow. Scientists widely use this feature of the creature to study the visualization of processes in the body.

firewater

Surely few people know that in nature there is a phenomenon that can be compared to a luminous ocean. However, no one would refuse to watch the bright blue neon surf of the ocean with their own eyes. The thing is that the water is filled with dinoflagellates, single-celled planktonic creatures with tails, which are distributed over impressive areas off the coast. Scientists believe that these creatures have inhabited our planet for a billion years, and for the last few millennia, puzzled people have been inclined to attribute this phenomenon to the mysterious magic of the sea gods.

Big Mouth

To hunt for food, this fish first uses bioluminescence to produce fluorescence in the form of red lights in the area near its nose, and then emits red pulses to detect shrimp. When prey is found, an unlock signal is sent and the jaw is activated. The ingenious predator takes advantage of the fact that shrimp, like many other inhabitants of the sea, cannot recognize red light.

Systellaspis shrimp

However, not all shrimp are so pliable and easily accessible to predators. For example, sistellaspis shrimp have excellent protection, including against largemouth. These shrimp disarm predators by spitting a nasty, glowing liquid from their tail right in front of their mouths.

Coral wall

A 1,000-foot-tall blood wall made of glowing coral has been discovered in the Cayman Islands. This interesting phenomenon became possible due to the fact that many bioluminescent creatures found refuge here. Many scuba divers enthusiastically take pictures of how the corals transform their red color into an amazing green glow.

Who among us has not had the opportunity to admire the warm summer evening greenish lights of fireflies, like arrows cutting through the air in different directions? But how many people know that not only some bugs, but also other animals, especially the inhabitants of the seas and oceans, are endowed with the ability to glow?

Everyone who spent the summer on the shores of the Black Sea has more than once witnessed one of the most beautiful spectacles of nature.

Night is coming. The sea is calm. Small ripples slide across its surface. Suddenly, a light strip flashed on the crest of one of the nearest waves. Behind her flashed another, a third... There are many of them. They will sparkle for a moment and fade along with the broken wave, only to light up again. You stand and look, enchanted, at the millions of lights flooding the sea with their light, and you ask - what’s the matter?

This riddle has long been solved by science. It turns out that light is emitted by billions of microscopic animals - ciliates, known as nocturnals. Warm summer water favors their reproduction, and they then rush across the sea in countless hordes. In the body of each such nocturnal light, yellowish balls are scattered, which emit light.

But let's leave the surface of the sea. Let's dive into its waters. Here the picture is even more magnificent. Here some strange animals float either in a sedate crowd or alone: they look like umbrellas or bells made of dense jelly. These are jellyfish: large and small, dark and glowing sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes yellow, sometimes reddish. Among these moving multi-colored “lanterns” a giant jellyfish, whose umbrella is sixty to seventy centimeters in diameter, floats calmly, slowly. Fishes emitting light are visible in the distance. The moon fish rushes headlong, like the moon among other luminous fish. One of the fish has brightly burning eyes, the other has a process on its muzzle, the top of which resembles a lit electric lamp; a third has a long cord with a “flashlight” at the end dangling from its lower jaw, and some glowing fish completely filled with radiance thanks to special organs located along their body like electric light bulbs strung on a wire.

We go down below - to where the light of the sun no longer penetrates, where, it would seem, there should be eternal, impenetrable darkness. And here and there “lights are burning”; and here the darkness of the night is cut through by rays emanating from the body of various luminous animals.

On the seabed, among rocks and algae, glowing worms and mollusks swarm. Their naked bodies are dotted with shiny stripes, spots or specks - like diamond dust; on the ledges of underwater rocks there are starfish flooded with light; The crayfish immediately dives into all corners of its hunting territory, illuminating the path ahead of it with huge, spyglass-like eyes.

But the most magnificent of all is one of the cephalopods: It is completely bathed in rays of bright blue color. One moment - and the light went out: as if the plug had been turned off electric chandelier. Then the light appears again - at first weak, then more and more bright: now it is cast in purple - the colors of the sunset. And then it goes out again, only to flare up again for a few minutes with the color of delicate green foliage.

You can see other colorful pictures in the underwater world

Let's remember the well-known sprig of red coral. This branch is the home of very simple animals - polyps. Polyps live in vast colonies that look like bushes. Polyps build their home from lime or horny substance. Such dwellings are called polypnyaks, and a branch of red coral is a particle of such a polypnyak. The underwater rocks in some places are completely covered with a whole grove of coral bushes of different shapes and colors with many tiny chambers in which sit hundreds of thousands of polyps - animals that look like little white flowers. On many polyp forests, the polyps seem to be engulfed in flames formed by numerous lights. The lights sometimes burn unevenly and intermittently, changing color: they will suddenly sparkle with a violet light, then turning into red, or they will sparkle with a pale blue and, having run through a whole range of transitions from blue to green, freeze at the color of emerald or go out, forming black shadows around themselves, and there again the iridescent sparks will flare up.

There are luminous animals among the inhabitants of land: these are almost entirely beetles. There are six species of such beetles in Europe. In tropical countries there are much more of them. They all make up one family of “lampyridae,” i.e., fireflies. The illumination sometimes arranged by these bugs is a very spectacular spectacle.

One night I was on a train from Florence to Rome. Suddenly my attention was attracted by sparks flying near the carriage. At first, they could have been mistaken for sparks emitted by a locomotive chimney. Looking out the window, I saw that our train was rushing forward through a light, transparent cloud woven from tiny golden-blue lights. They sparkled everywhere. They circled, pierced the air with radiant arcs, cut it in different directions, crossed, sank and flared up again in the darkness of the night, falling to the ground in a fiery rain. And the train rushed further and further, shrouded in a magical veil of lights. This unforgettable spectacle lasted for five minutes, or even more. Then we escaped from the cloud of burning dust particles, leaving them far behind us.

These were myriads of fireflies, our train crashed into the midst of these inconspicuous-looking insects, gathered on this quiet, warm night, apparently in mating season own life.

Certain types of fireflies emit light relatively great strength. There are fireflies that glow so brightly that on a dark horizon from a distance you cannot immediately determine what is in front of you: a star or a firefly. There are species in which both males and females glow equally well (for example, Italian fireflies). Finally, there are also types of beetles in which the male and female glow differently, although they look the same: in the male, the luminescent organ is better developed and acts more energetically than in the female. When the female is underdeveloped, has only rudimentary wings or no wings at all, and the male is developed normally, then something different is observed: in the female, the luminescent organs function much stronger than in the male; the more undeveloped the female is, the more motionless and helpless she is, the brighter her luminous organ. The best example The so-called “Ivan’s worm” may serve here, which is not a worm at all, but a larva-like female of a special species of firefly beetles. Who among us has not admired its cold, even light breaking through the foliage of a bush or grass? But there is an even more interesting sight: the glow of a female of another species of firefly. Inconspicuous during the day, resembling an annelid worm, at night it literally bathes in the rays of its own magnificent bluish-white light thanks to the abundance of luminous organs.

But it is not enough to admire the glow of living beings. It is necessary to know what causes the glow of the inhabitants of the underwater and ground world and what role it plays in the lives of animals.

When talking about the glow of the sea, we said that inside each night light, using a microscope, you can see many yellowish grains: these are luminous bacteria living in the body of the night light. By emitting light, they make these microscopic animals glow. The same must be said about the fish, whose eyes are like burning lanterns: their glow is caused by luminous bacteria that have settled in the cells of the luminous organ of this fish. But the glow of animals is not always associated with the activity of luminous bacteria. Sometimes the light is produced by special luminous cells of the animal itself.

The luminescent organs of various animals are built according to the same type: some are simpler, others are more complex. While luminous polyps, jellyfish and starfish The whole body glows; some breeds of crayfish have only one light source: big eyes, similar to a telescope. However, among luminous animals, one of the first places rightfully belongs to cephalopods. These include the octopus, which has the ability to change the color of its outer coverings.

What organs cause the glow? How are they built and how do they work?

The skin of the cephalopod contains small, oval-shaped hard bodies. The front part of this body, looking outward, is completely transparent and is something similar to the lens of the eye, and the back, most of it, is wrapped in a black shell of pigment cells. Directly under this shell lie silvery cells in several rows: they form the middle layer of the luminous organ of the mollusk. Beneath it are complex shaped cells that resemble the nerve elements of the retina. They line the inner surface of this body (apparatus). They also emit light.

So, the “light bulb” of a cephalopod consists of three different layers. Light is released by the cells of the inner layer. Reflecting from the silvery cells of the middle layer, it passes through the transparent end of the “light bulb” and goes out.

Another interesting detail in this luminous apparatus. In the skin of a cephalopod, next to each such body, there is something similar to a concave mirror or reflector. Each such reflector in the “light bulb” of a cephalopod consists, in turn, of two types of cells: dark pigment cells that do not transmit light, in front of which there are rows of silvery cells that reflect light.

This is the most complex organ of luminescence in animals. Others are built much simpler or have some differences from the organs just described. It is important for us to remember that some multicellular animals have cells capable of developing light energy.

While the body lives, various chemical processes take place in its cells. In connection with these processes in the body there arise various shapes energy: thermal, thanks to which it warms up; mechanical, on which its movements depend; electrical, which is associated with the work of his nerves. Light too special kind energy arising under the influence of that internal work which occurs in the body. The substance of luminous bacteria and those cells that make up the luminous apparatuses of animals, when oxidized, emits light energy.

What role does glow play in the lives of animals?

It has not yet been possible to answer this question in each individual case. But there can hardly be any doubt about the benefits of glowing for many animals. Glowing fish and crayfish live at such depths as sunlight does not penetrate. In the dark, it is difficult to discern what is happening around, track down prey and escape from the enemy in time. Meanwhile, luminous fish and crayfish are sighted and have eyes. The ability to glow makes their life easier.

In addition, we know how some animals are attracted to light. A fish with something like a sticking out of its head. light bulb, or angler fish, endowed with a long, cord-like tentacle “with a flashlight” at the end, uses luminous organs to attract prey. Even happier in this regard cephalopod: its changeable, iridescent light attracts some, frightens others. Some varieties of small luminous crustaceans, in a moment of danger, emit jets of luminous substance, and the resulting luminous cloud hides them from the enemy. Finally, in some animals, glowing serves as a means of finding and attracting one sex of an animal to another: males thus find females or, conversely, attract them to themselves. Consequently, the glow of animals is one of the adaptations that are so rich in Live nature, one of the weapons in the struggle for existence.

Lunkevich V.V. 1941