Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms. Some single-celled organisms (bacteria and protista) as well as many multicellular animals and fungi demonstrate bioluminescence.

Bioluminescence in nature

Marine environments support a number of bioluminescence organisms including species of bacteria, dinoflagellates, jellyfish, coral, shrimp, and fish. On any given night one can see the luminescent sparkle produced by the single-celled dinoflagellates when water is disturbed by a ship's bow or a swimmer's motions. Many multicellular marine organisms have specialized light emitting organs that project light in a particular direction or convey a unique shape to the light. The anglerfish has a light-emitting organ that projects from its head which serves as a bait to attract smaller prey fish. The light emitted from this organ in the anglerfish is actually produced by bacteria, living in a symbiotic relationship in which both the fish and bacteria profit from their shared...