This article is on the technical side, but worth reading:

http://www.aibs.org/biosciencelibrary/vol48/apr.98.sepiolids.html

The upshot is: the Hawaiian Bobtail squid establishes a symbiotic relationship with a certain luminescent bacteria, collecting the bacteria when young and using them to form the core of a light-producing organ.

Anyone who has ever collected fireflies in a bottle will recognize the principle, but this squid has taken it to another level entirely. Amazing stuff.

:!:

Clem

Veeeerrryyy cool. I wish I could do that...save on using a nightlight! (have one in case I have a nightmare involving giant squids, drew barrymore and jlopez off of the coast of france).
Also some interesting reading about captive conditions and rearing...fascinating!
Greg

Interesting! I'd heard that the symbiosis version was actually fairly rare...that the majority of bioluminescent critters actually generate the necessary chemicals themselves. Anybody know more there?

rusty

Don't know too much myself but Mark Norman's book "Cephalopods of the World" has a whole section on it

J

Hello,
I am reading this book :The Genius Within by Frank T. Vertosick
It is all about the 'intelligence' of micro organisims.
He speaks briefly of the bacteria V. fischeri and the protien lux that is produced to generate the luminescence. He says that it is only produced when the bacteria has a dense population, it can monitor its population by releasing and measuring a hormone called lactone. When they all get together (ussually in a deep sea fish or in this case a ceph) the lactone levels rise and lux is produced, creating bioluminescence!
I was very amazed at the development encuraged in the squids by the presence of the bacteria.
It seemed a wonderful example of sybiotic evolution.
I was wondering if other creatures that are bioluminescent go through similar developmental changes or if they are most often born with this or similar bioluminesent bacteria.

Sorry i know this didn't have much to do with the ceph.

~Serena

I was wondering if other creatures that are bioluminescent go through similar developmental changes or if they are most often born with this or similar bioluminesent bacteria.

Sorry i know this didn't have much to do with the ceph.

Serena,

No need to apologize for a good question. There must be a god brief somewhere on the web about this. I'll do a little digging.

I wonder if any terrestrial organisms establish symbiotic relationships with glowing bacteria...lots more to find out, I'm sure.

:roll:

Clem

ah, The Genius Within, very interesting book, mainly about the study of genetics, it's a book about him recognzing everything and being able to understand the mainframe of it all, "DNA", he was able to write a book about the understanding of the intelligence of all life.

"The sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes forms a bioluminescent mutualism with the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri, harboring V. fischeri cells in a complex ventral light organ and using the bacterial light in predator avoidance..."
basically a mutant at hand, ive witnessed this bioluminescent reaction from my squid today, as posted elsewhere, if i would have bought mine as a hatchling and raised him in captivity I would most have likely not been able to witness this, that is why I fear that if I get a juvenile instead of a matured bobtail he will not be able to interact with the bacterium "Vibrio fischeri" in captivity. :cry: