Facts about Anglerfish Bioluminescence Mechanism
- 05
Symbiotic bacteria housed in the anglerfish esca belong to genera such as Photobacterium, which are also found free-living in seawater.
- 04
Anglerfish bioluminescence is controlled partly by the fish regulating blood flow to the esca, which can modulate the oxygen supply available to the light-producing bacteria.
- 03
How bioluminescent bacteria first colonize the anglerfish esca during development remains an active area of research, as the transmission mechanism from environment to host is not fully understood.
- 02
Bioluminescent light production in anglerfish escas involves luciferin-luciferase reactions carried out by the symbiotic bacteria, not by the fish's own cells.
- 01
The glowing lure of female anglerfish is illuminated by bioluminescent bacteria living in symbiosis within the esca, a bulbous tip at the end of the illicium.