Bioluminescence

 

The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is known for its whale sharks, but the creatures that most intrigued me were the jellyfish.

Jellyfish are typically transparent and for visitors to view them, artificial lights are placed in the tanks. This actually means that we are not seeing the light from bioluminescent protein these creatures have in them.

Various marine creatures have the ability to emit light that is visible to humans, in the 440-479nm (blue) to around 505nm (green) wavelength. There also are certain creatures that emit red light, close to infrared wavelengths, for night vision.

Marine creatures are especially fascinating, for we do not get to see them as commonly. The colors and shapes change as we view them from different angles and under different light sources. There is much to be discovered and much to learn from what occurs naturally.