We love our glow in the dark stuff don’t we? Whether it be glow in the dark markers, clothing, ceiling stars, or - in college - the black light phenomenon, we can’t get enough of things that go “glow” in the dark. Perhaps, then, we should revert back to our former selves and wade through the waters of the world, seeing that there are roughly 180 species of fish and sharks that glow red, green, and orange. Biofluorescence vs. bioluminescence There are two types of glowing fish - bioluminescence and biofluorescence. Bioluminescence is when organisms produce their own light through either a chemical reaction or by harboring bacteria that does the glowing on behalf of the fish. Biofluorescence, however, is when animals absorb blue light (from the ocean) and re-emit it as different colors. Biofluorescent fish can’t turn off the glow. This phenomenon is far more widespread than scientists once believed, meaning that when it ...
