Light production by the arm tips of the deep-sea cephalopod Vampyroteuthis infernalis.
The archaic, deep-sea cephalopod Vampyroteuthis infernalis occurs in dark, oxygen-poor waters below 600 m off Monterey Bay, California. Living specimens, collected gently with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and quickly transported to a laboratory ashore, have revealed two hitherto undescribed means of bioluminescent expression for the species. In the first, light is produced by a new type of organ located at the tips of all eight arms. In the second, a viscous fluid containing microscopic luminous particles is released from the arm tips to form a glowing cloud around the animal. Both modes of light production are apparently linked to anti-predation strategies. Use of the tip-lights is readily educed by contact stimuli, while fluid expulsion has a much higher triggering threshold. Coelenterazine and luciferase are the chemical precursors of light production. This paper presents observations on the structure and operation of the arm-tip light organs, the character of the luminous cloud, and how the light they produce is incorporated into behavioral patterns.
Robison
Bruce H
BH
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Rd., Moss Landing, California 95039, USA. robr@mbari.org
Reisenbichler
Kim R
KR
Hunt
James C
JC
Haddock
Steven H D
SH
D000818:Animals; D049454:Firefly Luciferin / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010140:Pacific Ocean
D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D008156:Luciferases