Green biofluorescence emitted from the Pacific footballfish specimen when exposed to blue fluorescent light. Ludt and Clardy reason that the bioluminescent lure provides the necessary light source for the crystal structures to fluoresce. Upon closer examination, they found small, biofluorescent crystalline structures on the illicium, or the stalk that holds the lure-where there isn’t any bioluminescent bacteria. To their surprise, blue wavelengths of light revealed a green glow on the fish’s lure. But Clardy pumped the brakes-why not examine her in fluorescent light first? The team received the footballfish frozen and thawed her, with plans to inject the precious sample with formalin for preservation. It’s a rare find, with only around 30 other anglerfish specimens in collections worldwide, says Ludt. Only females grow to this size, as most males of anglerfish species are small, and often even latch on to females parasitically. Nicknamed “Spiny Babycakes” on Twitter, the specimen was about a foot long and probably lived between 1,000 and 4,000 feet deep. The new insights stem from Ludt and Clardy’s examination of a female Pacific footballfish that washed up to shore in Newport Beach, California and went viral on social media in May 2021. RARE FIND! Deep sea anglerfish washed up in Newport Beach on Friday morning! On Crystal Cove beach staff were alerted by beach visitor Ben Eslef and were able to retrieve this intact specimen. Fluorescence adds extra flair to their flashy trap. In the absence of sunlight, the study authors suggest, the anglerfish has instead evolved the ability to harness and transform the light of its shining microbes. “Biofluorescence is pretty widespread actually in shallow water marine environments, but the fact that we’re seeing this in the deep sea where there is no ambient light makes this really fascinating,” he adds. “You could think of it as a manipulation-the light comes in one color and then gets emitted in a different color,” says Ludt. While the two qualities can be often confused, bioluminescent organisms produce light, while organisms with biofluorescence are able to change light. County (NHM)īut as the new study demonstrates, the Pacific footballfish ( Himantolophus sagamius) uses an additional trick to create its light shows: Biofluorescence. Credit: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of L.A. These anglerfish are naturally this dark color, says Ludt-allowing them to blend into the inky blackness of the deep, dark sea.
Living, glowing bacteria called photobacterium light up the anglerfish’s lure to attract unwitting fish. It is the only source of light found below 650 feet in the ocean. In an anglerfish, these photobacteria live within the fleshy esca and act like little light generators, producing a soft, electric blue hue. These microbes, which can be found in many sea creatures, such as the Hawaiian bobtail squid, can be used to draw in prey, create camouflage, distract predators, and communicate with members of the same species.
But each shares the same source of illumination: bioluminescent bacteria. Others have longer, more complex lures, or even multiple glowing, dangling appendages. Some anglerfish species have very simple lures-which are also known as escas-with just one little dot of light at the tip. That level of variety extends to the glowing lure they use to attract mates and prey. “There’s a lot of different anglerfishes, and they all look pretty different and come in different sizes,” says Bill Ludt, a coauthor on the paper and the museum’s ichthyology curator. Researchers have known for some time that this dazzling, deadly display is a typical feeding tactic of all anglerfish species, but a study on the rare Pacific footballfish sheds new light on how they get their sparkle.Īccording to results published in the Journal of Fish Biology, this particular species doesn’t just emit a glow: it also converts its shining colors into “an amazing disco ball of light,” says study author Todd Clardy, the ichthyology collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM). The last thing they’ll see is a spiny, globe-shaped shadow emerging from behind the glowing orb-then they’ll be ensnared in the toothy maw of an anglerfish. Little do they know that they’re the ones about to become a meal. They likely think that they’ve stumbled upon a prized floating morsel in a relatively resource-deprived habitat. The glimmering shades of blue and green mesmerize curious fish and squid, tempting them closer. But a bobbing bright light sometimes breaks through the abyss. Deep below the ocean-3,000 feet beneath the surface, where sunlight cannot seep-the sea is smothered in a cold, inky darkness.
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