Glow in the Dark Animals

Glow in the Dark Animals

Living Light Some animals carry their own light一 insects on land flash in the night, and fish and other sea creatures glow. These glowing animals make their own light. They are bioluminescent(BY-oh-loo-mih-NEH-sent). This long word means “ life glowing. " The first part, bio, comes from a Greek word that means " life. " The second part, luminescent, comes from a Latin word that means “ glowing. "

Reasons to Glow Animals flash and glow to help them survive on land and in the sea. Their lights can be red, yellow, green, or blue. They use their lights to signal, hunt, and hide. They also use them to call for help and to fool their enemies. Glowing helps them survive. Most kinds of glowing animals live in the sea-very few live on land. You may have seen one of these glowing land animals on a warm summer evening. It's the firefly, a kind of beetle. Fireflies produce the glow in their abdomen, the hind part of their bodies. The light is like a tiny flashlight switching on and off. This flashing is a signal that helps these beetles communicate and find each other.

Some glowing sea animals use their light to hunt. The anglerfish has a stalk on its head that acts like a fishing rod. The tip of the stalk has a glowing white light that attracts small ocean fish. As the anglerfish moves its " lure" back and forth in water, the small fish come close to investigate. Then the anglerfish swallows them whole in one big gulp.

Other animals use their glow to hide from predators--animals that want to eat them. Some squid squirt chemicals into the ocean water to make a glowing cloud. This glow hides the squid so the predator can't find it. Then the squid escapes.

Krill are glowing sea animals that look like tiny shrimp. They use their glow to keep from becoming the prey of fish and other ocean animals that want to eat them. Millions of krill use their lights to signal each other. The signals help them gather together in huge groups. These glowing, swirling swarms confuse the whales, sea lions, and fish that all rely on krill for food.