A deepwater fish with 'lightsabers' - dorsal spine-associated luminescence in a counterilluminating lanternshark
(2013) In Scientific Reports 3.- Abstract
- We report the discovery of light organs (photophores) adjacent to the dorsal defensive spines of a small deep-sea lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax). Using a visual modeling based on in vivo luminescence recordings we show that this unusual light display would be detectable by the shark's potential predators from several meters away. We also demonstrate that the luminescence from the spine-associated photophores (SAPs) can be seen through the mineralized spines, which are partially translucent. These results suggest that the SAPs function, either by mimicking the spines' shape or by shining through them, as a unique visual deterrent for predators. This conspicuous dorsal warning display is a surprising complement to the ventral luminous... (More)
- We report the discovery of light organs (photophores) adjacent to the dorsal defensive spines of a small deep-sea lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax). Using a visual modeling based on in vivo luminescence recordings we show that this unusual light display would be detectable by the shark's potential predators from several meters away. We also demonstrate that the luminescence from the spine-associated photophores (SAPs) can be seen through the mineralized spines, which are partially translucent. These results suggest that the SAPs function, either by mimicking the spines' shape or by shining through them, as a unique visual deterrent for predators. This conspicuous dorsal warning display is a surprising complement to the ventral luminous camouflage (counterillumination) of the shark. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3577860
- author
- Claes, Julien M. ; Dean, Mason N. ; Nilsson, Dan-E LU ; Hart, Nathan S. and Mallefet, Jerome
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scientific Reports
- volume
- 3
- article number
- 1308
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000315154400001
- scopus:84874298608
- pmid:23425862
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- DOI
- 10.1038/srep01308
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 92906ca6-426d-4694-bedf-10bd9790e153 (old id 3577860)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:14:26
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 18:07:37
@article{92906ca6-426d-4694-bedf-10bd9790e153,
abstract = {{We report the discovery of light organs (photophores) adjacent to the dorsal defensive spines of a small deep-sea lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax). Using a visual modeling based on in vivo luminescence recordings we show that this unusual light display would be detectable by the shark's potential predators from several meters away. We also demonstrate that the luminescence from the spine-associated photophores (SAPs) can be seen through the mineralized spines, which are partially translucent. These results suggest that the SAPs function, either by mimicking the spines' shape or by shining through them, as a unique visual deterrent for predators. This conspicuous dorsal warning display is a surprising complement to the ventral luminous camouflage (counterillumination) of the shark.}},
author = {{Claes, Julien M. and Dean, Mason N. and Nilsson, Dan-E and Hart, Nathan S. and Mallefet, Jerome}},
issn = {{2045-2322}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Scientific Reports}},
title = {{A deepwater fish with 'lightsabers' - dorsal spine-associated luminescence in a counterilluminating lanternshark}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep01308}},
doi = {{10.1038/srep01308}},
volume = {{3}},
year = {{2013}},
}