Why do some deep-sea creatures glow their own light?
Deep-Sea Disco
Why do some deep-sea creatures glow their own light?
A mile down in the ocean, sunlight gives up. It's darker than any closet, any midnight, any cave you've ever seen. And yet, all around, tiny lights are blinking on and off like a slow-motion fireworks show. Who turned on the Christmas lights down here?
The lights are the animals themselves. A jellyfish pulses with blue glow. An anglerfish dangles a glowing lure from its forehead like a miner's headlamp. A squid flashes patterns along its body. They're making their own light, the way a firefly does on a summer night—except down here, almost everyone's doing it.
