Fluorescing Mantis Shrimp Video!

[Anonymous]

This is so cool. It's the first ever fluorescing stomatopod discovered, as far as I can tell, and it lives in the Bahamas.

http://www.nightsea.com/mantis.htm#video

 

[utahsaltreefer]

That's pretty cool. Too bad the video is so short.

 

[Baianotang]

"It's the first ever fluorescing stomatopod"
Is that whith no special lighting?
For what reason does it do it? (dont think you have the answer anyhow)

 

[Anonymous]

Fluorescence, by definition, must happen under the agitation of a light source. Here's the official word from dictionary.com:

1. The emission of electromagnetic radiation, especially of visible light, stimulated in a substance by the absorption of incident radiation and persisting only as long as the stimulating radiation is continued.

2. The property of emitting such radiation.

3. The radiation so emitted.

 

[Anonymous]

The video is in the wild. I'm guessing it uses it to attract fish, other potential prey.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, did you notice it's a spearer? Gotta lure dem nighttime fishies in somehow!

 

[John_Brandt]

Very interesting. Several years ago I saw a program that featured mantis shrimps. It showed how their eyes are designed to see polarized light. Their tails and forward appendages are specially modified to reflect polarized light and act as signals. The researchers used special cameras to film the shrimps flashing to each other using these body parts. They were using these flashes as a form of visual communication. I wonder if the research that Matt linked to is the same or similar to what I saw. There was emphasis on the reflection being polarized in the program I watched, whereas this link emphasizes the fluorescence of the reflection.

Edit: Here is the citation to the research...
N.J. Marshall, T.W. Cronin, and N. Shashar. 1999. Behavioural evidence for polarisation vision in stomatopods reveals a potential channel for communication. Current Biology 9:755- 758.



I'm not sure if this capability would be related to prey stalking or luring. This is not the same as luminescence, which actually emits light. At night, a shrimp's fluorescent reflectivity would be meaningless - I think.

This is also a confusing issue with the new GM "GloFish". This fish does not actually glow (luminesce), it fluoresces when exposed to certain light wavelengths.

 

[Anonymous]

John,
Aren't the wavelengths that cause the light to be emitted in the UV range? I'm guessing a full moon would be enough light to cause it to happen, at least enough for a nocturnal fish to see it. Who knows. Interesting stuff regardless.

 

[John_Brandt]

Yes, UV and near-UV. Actinic 03 (420nm) does an excellent job with dramatic effect.

But if moonlight causes fluorescense, then why don't coral reefs look brilliant on night dives? Are we unable to detect it, while marine animals can? You know your assignment now, Matt.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know, but these folks might...
http://www.vthrc.uq.edu.au:16080/ecovis/CurrentRes.html

Did it ever say that these shrimp are exclusively nocturnal? I never even saw that stated. Couldn't they just be using the fluorescence during the day?