Anyone have animals that glow at night?

[Terry Mattson]

Watching a show on marine life and they presented fish, invertebrates, and other animals that produce their own light.

Made me wonder if anyone has a reef safe animal that glows in the dark ....

 

[CuzzA]

I have a small pinnidae that came on a piece of Gulf liverock that has a bright fluorescent orange shell under actinic. I have no idea if it will survive long term. They are considered giant clams. Though not like the ones we are used to.

Pen Shells

Pen Shells

myfwc.com

 

[Kzang]

Watching a show on marine life and they presented fish, invertebrates, and other animals that produce their own light.

Made me wonder if anyone has a reef safe animal that glows in the dark ....

Only thing I can think of is a flame scallop, but it technically doesn't glow.

 

[Shufflepig]

LiveAquaria used to sell flashlight fish but I haven’t seen them on their site for a while. They have spots on their heads that glow in the dark.

 

[Scurvy]

@AlexG has done a couple of videos on all the things that glow in his system. Ill never find the links but some pretty cool little creatures of the night.

 

[ca1ore]

Uh no ..... do you?

 

[Kzang]

LiveAquaria used to sell flashlight fish but I haven’t seen them on their site for a while. They have spots on their heads that glow in the dark.

Just looked it up. Pretty cool.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1156/?pcatid=1156

 

[Hermie]

lol I could try feeding my puffer lightning bugs in the summer

 

[Daniel92481]

I’ve seen some cool shows like that. Pretty fascinating! Here is a video of a flame scallop from an LFS. Thought it was cool too!

 

[saltyhog]

There is a big difference in animals that glow under actinic light and animals that have bioluminescenc (actually emit light themselves). The later are almost always animals that are from great depths.

There is a fantastic night dive in Kona, HI where you descend aprroximately 60' below the boat over a 4000' trench. No lights at all. Many of the deep dwelling creatures come up from the depths to feed at night and the show is on.

 

[Waynerock]

I wish there was a way to simulate the bio luminescence are used to see on the beach in Maine and summer growing up. It’s very hard to explain how cool that was like standing in the waves and breaking apart a glow stick. I have no idea if it’s even possible to re-create that at home. On a sidenote we do have glow worms in the summertime out here they’re weird as heck

 

[CuzzA]

There is a big difference in animals that glow under actinic light and animals that have bioluminescenc (actually emit light themselves). The later are almost always animals that are from great depths.

There is a fantastic night dive in Kona, HI where you descend aprroximately 60' below the boat over a 4000' trench. No lights at all. Many of the deep dwelling creatures come up from the depths to feed at night and the show is on.

I see ctenophores all the time diving, day or night, which have bioluminescence. Pretty cool. Night diving is awesome.

 

[NHgoalstop]

I wish there was a way to simulate the bio luminescence are used to see on the beach in Maine and summer growing up. It’s very hard to explain how cool that was like standing in the waves and breaking apart a glow stick. I have no idea if it’s even possible to re-create that at home. On a sidenote we do have glow worms in the summertime out here they’re weird as heck

Well you are in luck. You more than likely cant get them to grow in your home aquarium but pyrofarms does sell a kit for growing and keeping them alive at home.

 

[robbyg]

I wish there was a way to simulate the bio luminescence are used to see on the beach in Maine and summer growing up. It’s very hard to explain how cool that was like standing in the waves and breaking apart a glow stick. I have no idea if it’s even possible to re-create that at home. On a sidenote we do have glow worms in the summertime out here they’re weird as heck

I tried that once and it did not work out. The little guys put on a light show the first night and by the second night it was gone. I assume the skimmer just removed them from the water. Also my later research revealed they eat some specialized stuff found in the bottom of the ocean. They are only found in a few parts of the world and I assume that’s because of their unique diet.

 

[robbyg]

I also tried a flashlight fish, but it never ate and wasted away. I wonder if anybody has had luck keeping them alive?

 

[BeelzebubsThrillStick]

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Not aquarium related, but as good as place as any to tell about this experience:

Over Christmas, my good friend and I did a two-day fishing trip way back along the coast in Flamingo, Fl. about 38 miles from the nearest town and about as far as you can get from anyone in Florida. We overnighted in Ponce de Leon Bay, anchoring for the night under a moonless sky.

About 11pm I noticed flashes of light around our anchor line. They were small crustaceans, likely shrimp, putting out a green flash as they bumped the line. Later, at 2 am, the tide changed and came out from the mangroves into the bay. The anchor line, around the motor, and from under the hull at the transom were millions of tiny plankton all glowing with blueish-green bioluminescence as they interacted with the boat. If you moved your hand or the tip of a fishing pole in the water it would leave a ghostly trail.

I've seen the same up near Captiva Island and in Puerto Rico. I've read about bioluminescent plankton or diatoms in Mosquito Bay, Fl as well. I have never seen it in the Flamingo area, however, and that's after fishing there for 25+ years.

Absolutely beautiful.

 

[ScottR]

There is a big difference in animals that glow under actinic light and animals that have bioluminescenc (actually emit light themselves). The later are almost always animals that are from great depths.

There is a fantastic night dive in Kona, HI where you descend aprroximately 60' below the boat over a 4000' trench. No lights at all. Many of the deep dwelling creatures come up from the depths to feed at night and the show is on.

Wow. That’s only 20 meters then. Quite a short way down for a dive to see bio illuminating creatures.

 

[Treenk]

lol I had one of these... just awesome

 

[saltyhog]

Wow. That’s only 20 meters then. Quite a short way down for a dive to see bio illuminating creatures.

Yep, I don't know if there is an upwelling or why they come to the surface to feed at night there. This is a good video of the dive. You will notice that some of the bioluminescent critters are immature/larval stages of familiar critters.