The sea walnut bioluminescence Mnemiopsis leidyi

The sea walnut bioluminescence - Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora, Tentaculata, Lobata, Bolinopsidae) Bioluminescência no ctenóforo Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora, Tentaculata, Lobata, Bolinopsidae) By Alvaro E. Migotto Ctenophores (comb jellies) are amazing in many ways. These gelatinous creatures are voracious predators and the largest animals to use cilia for locomotion and, besides many other unique features, they are also capable of producing light (bioluminescence). The ctenophores must be kept and observed in the total darkness; when touched, they emit light. But stay tuned. The bright colors portrayed in so many beautiful photographs of comb jellies do not represent the phenomenon of bioluminescence, as alleged by some. They are primarily due to the refraction of the incident light on the combs of cilia arranged along the animal's body. Want to know more about bioluminescence? Be sure to read the article “The Diversity of Light-Producing Marine Organisms” by Steven H.D. Haddock (http//photobiology.info/Haddock.html), and you will also learn about the other optical phenomena which may be confused with bioluminescence. See also: The Bioluminescence Web Page (https://biolum.eemb.ucsb.edu/) ; https://www.genome.gov/27551984/2012-news-feature-bioluminescent-comb-jellies-begin-to-shed-light-on-the-evolution-of-vision .

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