Why Do Animals Use Bioluminescence

-Introduction

Bioluminescence is light that is created from a chemical reaction that an organism produces. These types of organisms include bacteria, fungi, dinoflagellates, radiolarians, cnidarians, ctenophores, nemertean worms, molluscs, annelids, pycnogonids, crustaceans, chaetognaths, echinoderms, hermichordate worms, urochordates, and chordates. There are others but they are all land animals. Most of the animals that use bioluminescence use it for many different reasons; such as finding a mate, using morse code, to protect, to lure, and for camouflage. But, the animals themselves get bioluminescence naturally.

-The Lure

Animals use bioluminescence as a lure, especially the angler fish, who uses the light on the top of it's head. It is useful because organisms eat bacteria, and since bacteria glows they go straight to it. If the angler fish is successful, it will be able to have a meal. The animals eat bacteria because it will give them power for their bioluminescence. Some other animals use the lure in a very different way, like a zooplankton would glow, then it would ld dodge out of the way if a phytoplankton comes in and eat it.

-Finding A Mate/Morse Code

In order for an organism to find it's mate is to blink a lot of times and see if someone will recognize the signal. An organism will only have a mate if another organism can identify the signal. This method is also used in morse code. The organism will glow a lot of times in a pattern type of way. If someone from the same type of organism sees it, it blinks back.

-Protection

Organisms don't fight or have arms ( well, most of them ) so they use bioluminescence to spray at the predator. This is a technique that police officers use if they don't want to kill a suspect. But, does it hurt like pepper spray? Well if it does, shouldn't they just use it the predator is closing in on them? But, even if it does, they should be glad because they have a way to defend themselves; I would be glad because it's not common for every person to walk around the street armed with pepper spray.

-Camouflage

As we ( well just spies and soldiers ) use camouflage, they use it as well. If the sense a predator closing in on them, they will shoot out bioluminescence and move out of the way. They use it because most of bioluminescence is blue, and since the water is blue too, it will use it. But, what would happen if they got caught? Well the answer is obvious, it will get eaten.

These are the basic operations for bioluminescence. Thank you for listening.