Discover the fascinating world of most beautiful glowing creatures around the globe.
It is amazing how these beautiful living creatures glow in the dark and illuminate due to chemical reactions called 'bioluminescence'.
The unique bioluminescence process occurs in specialized light-producing organs.
The process initiates as the insects organs take in light which then reacts with chemical compounds for this 'bioluminescence' effect.
Moreover, the chemical reaction involves luciferin and enzyme luciferase along with oxygen and magnesium ions to create a “cold light”.
Furthermore, the cold bioluminescent light produced, serves as a form of communication for finding food, attracting mates and warning predators.
In addition to that insects can also control the light flashing by regulating the amount of oxygen that reaches their light-producing organs.
Most glowing creatures involves firefly, jellyfish, railroad worms, click beetles and glow spot cockroaches.
Firefly also called 'lighting bugs' are the most famous glowing insects in the world. They are the most commonly found insect in the tropical regions like Asia, North America, South America and parts of Europe.
These lighting bugs glow by producing chemical light from their abdomen which appears mostly in greenish yellow flashes.
Moreover, these flashes are mostly used for communication and courtship.
Railroad worms are unique beetle larvae that glow in two different colors. These worms usually emit greenish yellow light from their body and a distinct red color from their head making them look like a moving-train glowing in the dark.
They are commonly found in Brazil and nearby regions.
Click Beetles are other tiny creatures that glow. Unlike firefly, they glow constantly instead of emitting light flashes. Their beautiful greenish light is produced from thorax and under their wings. Most commonly found in American regions.
Glowspot cockroach is one of the rare insects which belongs to Ecuador. It has yellow-green glowing spots on its back similar to the glowing beetles.
Most scientists believe that their glowing feature is used for mimicry to protect them from predators.
Unlike firefly it may not produce bioluminescence instead shows auto-fluorescence.
The jelly fish is a famous glowing creature from marine which produce beautiful light.
Bioluminescent jellyfish produce their own light through a chemical reaction to attract prey, deter predators and for communication purposes.
The glowing light comes from tiny-light producing organ located around the outer bell of the jellyfish.
Famous examples include Crystal Jellyfish, Atolla Jellyfish and Portuguese Man-O’-war fish.
Glow Squid or bioluminescent sea firefly is deep sea creature which uses light-producing organs called ‘photophores’ to camouflage itself to communicate or attract mates.
These creatures have beautiful bioluminescent glow spots all over their body. The glow is used as tool for counter-illumination a unique form of camouflage where the squid matches its ventral light to moonlight and starlight filtering from above.
More over these squid glow as a result of symbiotic relationship with Bioluminescent bacteria called ‘Vibro Fischeri’. It is also known as “Hawaiian bobtail squid” as these species are most commonly found near Hawaii region.
There are few Scorpio species that glow in the dark due to fluorescence a process where a layer in their exoskeleton, ‘Hyaline layer’ absorbs the ultra-violet UV light and re-emits as ‘blue-green’ or light ‘sea-green’ color glow.
Anglerfish’s light emanates from the end of fishing-rod like extension or antenna on its forehead. The glow appears because of tiny bacteria known as “photobacterium”.
The anglerfish uses this feature to lure its prey and then strike it with its razor-tooth jaws to catch it.
It is amazing how universe has given us such unique creatures. Other than the insects some fungi also glow in the dark.
These bioluminescent fungi refer to some species of mushrooms, also known as ‘bitter mushrooms’ or ‘ghost mushrooms.
The ‘foxfire' phenomenon can be seen glowing green from the mushroom gills thread-like structures or from root-like structures known as rhizomorphs.
The common examples include Omphalotus, Mycena, Armillaria, also species like Panellus and Neonothopanus.
These fungi can be commonly found on decaying woods, Bamboos, trees and fallen tree logs.