Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence

Guided By : Submitted By:

Prof. Anjula Porus. Sudarshan Gokhale

Msc Zoology

1. Introduction.

2. Occurrence of bioluminescence.

3. Distribution of bioluminescence organs.

4. Structure.

5. Significance.

6. Conclusion.

Holkar Science College,Indore

Fish posses a number of adaptive structures

which have been evolved to meet special

requirements faced by them.

Most important of them are:

Electric organs

Phosphorescent organs

Poison glands &

Sound producing organs Holkar Science College,Indore

It is the production and emission

of light by a living organism.

Widespread across marine

zooplankton and micro-nektonic

life.

(BIOS - LIVING,LUMEN - LIGHT)


Product of a reaction

- Chemical (luciferin)

- Enzyme (luciferase).

Luciferin-indole derivative consisting of

tryptamine,arginine, and isoleusine.


The most common luciferin is Coelenterazine.

Vargula luciferinCoelenterazine


Luciferin + Luciferase Oxyluciferin,

(emitting light).


“One of the most important processes in the

ocean, and yet hardly anyone was studying it.”

These are absent in freshwater forms.

These mostly the characteristic feature of

midwater and bottom dwelling deep sea

fishes.


Fishes with luminiscent organs are world wide

in distribution.

Majority of them are bathy pelagic living at a

medium depth(500-2000).

In fishes the luminescence is generally blue or

green.


70% of all species collected from Bermuda

and south atlantic had light organs.

Systematic survey shows 10-15% of all

marine fish genera contain luminous organs.


1.Results from the presence of luminous

bacteria living on the fish in a symbiotic manner.

2.Arises from the self luminous cells on the

fish,the photophores.


Photobacterium is a genus of gram negative

bacteria in the family vibrionaceae. Members of

the genus are bioluminiscent that is they have the

ability to emitlight.


photobacterium leiognathi photobacterium phosphoreum

Many species, including Photobacterium

leiognathi and Photobacterium phosphoreum

and , live in symbiosis with marine organisms.


These are associated with diverticulum of

the gut( infect during the larval life).

Surrounded dorsally and laterally by a

connective tissue reflecting layer.so light

emerges downwards and is refracted by

translucent ventral muscles before passing out

of the ventral region.Holkar Science College,Indore

In which the bacterial

organ is situated near the

anus from a gut

diverticulum.

It is enclosed in a black

epithelium exept

anteriorly.

Eg;Opisthoproctus

Opisthoproctus soleatus


Where it shines into a long ventral hyaline

light guide surrounded dorsally by reflecting

platelets.

The boom of the fish being completely flat

light emerges evenly over the whole of this

flattened sole.

used for ventral camouflague.


Eg;Photoblepharon

They glow

countinuosly,(can only

hide by a shutter or

rotating them into a

black lined pocket).

Photoblepharon


In Chlorophthalmus

the light is very much

dimmer than those of

Photoblepharon.

Chlorophthalmus


Spectacularly

luminescent fish(10^10

bacteria/cm^3!!!!!!).

Used to search corals

during day time and at

night hunts small

copepods.Flashlight fish


A number of fish mostly deepsea fish

possess characteristic luminescent organs

namely PHOTOPHORES.


Similar to eyes

Having a reflecting layer and capped with a lens.

Richly innervated and certainly under nervous

control.

The transmitter commonly is adrenaline or nor

adrenaline(in hatchet fishes it is epinephrine).


In the two images,

‘c’ is the light-emitting core

‘r’ is the reflector

surrounding it and

‘f’ is a filter to give the

emitted light

The light bounces around

until It exists the photophore

through the aperture.Photophores from the dragonfish Malacosteus.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1aiaEHIin0/UIF8qSFJ4BI/AAAAAAAABYQ/3ibx6T-tXbQ/s1600/malaphotophore.bmp

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1aiaEHIin0/UIF8qSFJ4BI/AAAAAAAABYQ/3ibx6T-tXbQ/s1600/malaphotophore.bmp

Specialised

gland cells of

the epidermis.

Show

considerable

variation in

their number

and mode of

distribution.


Ventral series

of photophores

(camouflague).

The lateral

photophores

(signalling).

Eg;Lantern fishLantern fish


1.SERIAL VENTRAL PHOTOPHORES

They are large and ventrally directed in shallower

species.

Eg; Stomias and Chauliodus

StomiasChauliodusHolkar Science College,Indore

2.SIMPLE PHOTOPHORES

In many genera,there are a red fluorescentviolet

pigment like that of serial types but they usually lack

reflectors.

Very similar to the unpigmented glandulartissue.


Generally they occur on the lateral and ventral

sides of the body and sometimes in head also.

3.GLANDULAR

LUMINOUS TISSUE

These patches emit very rapid high

intensity flashes(10per sec).


Streaks of some glandular

tissue occur (flanks of

Malacostieds).

It also bears a camouflaguefunction(Macropogon). Macropogon


Arranged as one or two rows extending on

the sides from head to tail(scopelus and

halosauropsis).

Rarely arranged in transverse bands on the

body(Opostomias).

The ObeseDragonfish,

Opostomias micripnus.

Photophores, or light producing

organs, cover the fish in rows

and below both eyesHolkar Science College,Indore

ALTERNATIVE FORMS

One or two suborbital

organs(Opostomias,Micripnus,Scopelus benoitti

and Pachystomias microdon).

Pachystomias microdonHolkar Science College,Indore

http://discovermagazine.com/sitefiles/resources/image.aspx?item=DD1E995F-E1AA-434D-B191-47BEAFFCAC0D&mw=900&mh=600

http://discovermagazine.com/sitefiles/resources/image.aspx?item=DD1E995F-E1AA-434D-B191-47BEAFFCAC0D&mw=900&mh=600

In deeper

species,the organ is

reduced in size

becomes almost

rudimentary(Malacost

eids). Malacosteids

In all families these have a red flourscnt

violet pigment in the aperture.

Stimulated by adrenaline injection.


In angler fish:

Looking like something out

of a science fiction movie, the

anglerfish uses a natural lure to

draw its next meal nearer

Large photophores on the elongated first finrays

of pectoral and dorsal fins.


In toad fish porichtheys:

A large

number of

photophores are

present along

the lateral line.


Used to increase the

visibility of lateral

photophores.

Eg;Hatchet fish and

Scopelarchus

A Hatchetfish showing off its glow

YELLOW LENSES

ScopelarchusHolkar Science College,Indore

Eg; ophisthoproctus and argyropelecus.

Difficult to find these fishes from below.

Cracking of ventral camouflague system using

filtering lenses.

Opisthoproctus ArgyropelecusHolkar Science College,Indore

Used to circumvent the camouflague of

prey.

Possess visual pigments absorbing red

light.

Eg;Malacosteus and Pachystomias

Having large redemitting

photophores underneath the

eye.

RED HEAD LIGHT FISHES


Illuminates the prey with a light of a

wavelength that the prey can’t detect.

Retina absorbs around 575nm so they can perceive

redlight(most deep sea fishes - 450-490nm).

Red reflecting tapetum and increased pigment

density to make up the inevitable loss of sensitivity.


Malacosteus


Can observe common

red and brown

animals of the middle

depth(which can’t be

illuminated with the

more common blue

emitting

photophores).

Eg;Diaphus

Diaphus


1.Search the prey in the dark

waters.Eg:Anomalops.

2.Attract prey near the mouth.

3.Some times acts as defensive organ.

4.Warning signal for the predatory animal.

5.Recognising individuals of the same

species(schooling).




CONCLUSION

New species of luminescent fish are discovered

yearly

But the function and physiology of the light organs

remain more speculation than scientific fact.

Access difficulties, expensive ship and submarine

cost ,and low funding have hamstrung effect and

our knowledge of bioluminescent fish lags behind.


Thanks


Bioluminescence

Education

organs holkar science

indore bioluminescence

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indore mechanism product

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fish introduction

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