A
new study suggests a species of lantern shark uses its glowing spines
to avoid being eaten, possibly making it the first fish to use
bioluminescence to actively avoid predation.
Bioluminescence is
common in the deep sea, where the velvet belly lantern shark
(Etmopterus spinax) lives. Some deep sea fish use their light to hide
their presence from predators, such as disguising their silhouette from
below with an illuminated belly, while others like the angler fish use
it to lure prey. It was known that this lantern shark produces light
from its underside, but the photophores lining its spines had escaped
detection until this study. These spines, positioned in front of each of
the two dorsal fins, would make it a painful meal.
It seems
paradoxical - why hide yourself from below, but advertise yourself from
the side and above? The team behind this study believe it communicates
to any would-be predators that this shark will be a very painful meal.
The brightness of this spines is perfectly tailored to both predator and
prey. Visual modelling experiments revealed potential predators could
see the shark from several metres away, but its prey (typically the
pearlside fish) couldn't see it until it was 1.5 metres away - severely
reducing their chance of a successful escape.
To read the paper: http://bit.ly/Zmmtpm
Photo credit: Dr. Jérôme Mallefet FNRS - UCL.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.the-scientist.com/
A
new study suggests a species of lantern shark uses its glowing spines
to avoid being eaten, possibly making it the first fish to use
bioluminescence to actively avoid predation.
Bioluminescence is common in the deep sea, where the velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax) lives. Some deep sea fish use their light to hide their presence from predators, such as disguising their silhouette from below with an illuminated belly, while others like the angler fish use it to lure prey. It was known that this lantern shark produces light from its underside, but the photophores lining its spines had escaped detection until this study. These spines, positioned in front of each of the two dorsal fins, would make it a painful meal.
It seems paradoxical - why hide yourself from below, but advertise yourself from the side and above? The team behind this study believe it communicates to any would-be predators that this shark will be a very painful meal. The brightness of this spines is perfectly tailored to both predator and prey. Visual modelling experiments revealed potential predators could see the shark from several metres away, but its prey (typically the pearlside fish) couldn't see it until it was 1.5 metres away - severely reducing their chance of a successful escape.
To read the paper: http://bit.ly/Zmmtpm
Photo credit: Dr. Jérôme Mallefet FNRS - UCL.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.the-scientist.com/
Bioluminescence is common in the deep sea, where the velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax) lives. Some deep sea fish use their light to hide their presence from predators, such as disguising their silhouette from below with an illuminated belly, while others like the angler fish use it to lure prey. It was known that this lantern shark produces light from its underside, but the photophores lining its spines had escaped detection until this study. These spines, positioned in front of each of the two dorsal fins, would make it a painful meal.
It seems paradoxical - why hide yourself from below, but advertise yourself from the side and above? The team behind this study believe it communicates to any would-be predators that this shark will be a very painful meal. The brightness of this spines is perfectly tailored to both predator and prey. Visual modelling experiments revealed potential predators could see the shark from several metres away, but its prey (typically the pearlside fish) couldn't see it until it was 1.5 metres away - severely reducing their chance of a successful escape.
To read the paper: http://bit.ly/Zmmtpm
Photo credit: Dr. Jérôme Mallefet FNRS - UCL.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.the-scientist.com/
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