The velvet belly lantern shark lives in the perpetual darkness of the very deep ocean, so glowing in the dark is essential for it to find a mate. Photograph: Christopher Bird
Posted on 12/19/2017 11:42:43 AM PST by Red Badger
Light emitted by a new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus lailae, is camouflage and helps them to hunt, communicate and find partners. But how does it work?
Earlier this year a new species of deep water shark, Etmopterus lailae, was discovered in waters surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Measurements of external features, teeth, vertebrae and intestines, along with specific external markings and patterns confirmed that it was indeed a new species – a member of the lanternshark family. Lanternsharks (Etmopteridae) are one of the most species-rich shark genera, with approximately 38 known species, 11 of which have been described since 2002. Tasmania's coastline glows in the dark as plankton turn blue
The lanternsharks are one of two deep sea shark families to possess the ability to bioluminesce – in other words, they are able to glow in the dark. The other shark family with the ability to do this are the kitefin sharks (Dalatiidae). This family houses the infamous cookie cutter shark, which was known for its impressive ability to disable US Navy submarines in the 70s and 80s, by testing how the electrical cables and rubber sonar domes rated on a culinary scale (Johnson 1978). Imagine being the officer who had to report back about how the submarines were defeated by a particularly voracious ... 22 inch (56cm) shark!
What is bioluminescence and what use is it?
Bioluminescence is the emission of light as a result of a biochemical reaction. In contrast to fluorescence and phosphorescence, bioluminescenct reactions do not require the initial absorption of sunlight or other electromagnetic radiation by a molecule or pigment to emit light.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
The velvet belly lantern shark lives in the perpetual darkness of the very deep ocean, so glowing in the dark is essential for it to find a mate. Photograph: Christopher Bird
Rudolph the shark.
Those must be the lasers attached to their heads.
Interesting, good post!
lol
He certainly looks like a happy little fella!
“The velvet belly lantern shark lives in the perpetual darkness of the very deep ocean, so glowing in the dark is essential for it to find a mate.”
That doesn’t make any sense.
IBSWFLB!!!!!
(oops, too late!)
Looks like a journalism professor of one of my classes back in the day.
It apparently works or there wouldn’t be any lantern sharks.................
The breed originated off the coast of Fukushima, Japan in March, 2011....
Y’know the thing about a shark, he’s got... lifeless smiles, happy smiles, like a doll’s smile. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’... until he bites ya. And that smile turns upside down, and then... oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin’, the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin’ and the hollerin’, they all come in and they... rip you to pieces.
“He certainly looks like a happy little fella!”
Funniest post ever.
.
Yeah, but that’s not what I meant.
I was referring to “essential”. Has he never heard of other senses?
....their not new,their illegals off the coast of Mexico
That’s actually a cute shark; and I hate sharks.
They live in the very deep. No light and pressures of hundreds of pounds per square anything. Sight and sound and smell probably have little or no meaning to the shark..................
Smell probably has a lot to do with their lives. Sonic sense also.
They don’t even need working eyes.
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