Anglerfish such as this Chaenophryne longiceps are classic examples of bioluminescent organisms, although it is rare to see them alive like this velvety-black specimen. Unfortunately, you will usually see images of dead-looking, preserved fish with milky white eyes, even on magazine covers and in the movie "Finding Nemo." These fish look like they could be large and scary, but the one shown here is only about 4cm long. Although most marine organisms do NOT use bacteria to make their light, the anglerfish is an exception. It cultures a glowing community inside its retractable lure (called an esca). Although prey attraction is a logical role for bioluminescence, and lures can be found in some other fish, demonstrated examples are quite rare.





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