Bioluminescence of a jellyfish. From Flickr, by NOAA.
Bioluminescent comb jelly.
The light-emitting jellyfish Atolla wyvillei
E. Widder/Orca
These neurons from the hippocampus of a mouse were genetically altered with fluorescent proteins from jellyfish to create about 90 shades of color. The Harvard researchers who invented this technique call it “Brainbow”; the vivid hues help researchers observe the complex interactions between brain cells.
Comb jellyfish
Comb jellyfish
A close-up of a Comb Jellyfish’s tentacles. Comb jellies can flash colors in sequences that look much like rainbows.
A comb jellyfish. Probably the most colorful species of jellyfish in the world!
When something looks too good to be true, it usually is. Take the case of the deep-sea siphonophore, which makes red light to trap its prey. A close relative of the jellyfish, it was recently discovered by a team of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) researchers.
Like all siphonophores, this unnamed species is what scientists call a “superorganism”: an animal that grows by budding off highly specialized structures, known as zooids. Each zooids performs a specific function, such as feeding or reproduction.
This creature’s feeding zooids employ unique red “lures” at the tips of some tentacles to catch unwitting passers-by. To the fish that fall for the alluring bait, the red fluorescent tip looks just like a fat, juicy crustacean. The dangling blobs themselves are harmless, but nearby tentacles are equipped with a battery of potent stinging cells, that make quick work of the small fish.
Photophores contained within the tips are responsible for producing the red light. MBARI scientist Steven Haddock believes the lures are an adaptation for living at depth, where food is scarce and fish are even scarcer.
Bioluminescence in a deep sea jellyfish.
(via bruiseconstellation)
This is a comb jelly - they’re bioluminescent.
