List of bioluminescent organisms

Omphalotus nidiformis

A bioluminescent mushroom ...

...glowing with the lights off.

Firefly (species unknown) with and without flash.

Foxfire in the fungus Panellus stipticus

Blue ocean glow caused by myriad tiny organisms, such as Noctiluca.

Noctiluca scintillans, a bioluminescent dinoflagellate

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms. This list of bioluminescent organisms is organized by the environment, covering terrestrial, marine, and microorganisms.

Terrestrial animals[]

certain arthropods
- fireflies
- click beetle specific types (e.g. Pyrophorini, Balgus, Campyloxenus, etc.)
- glow worms
  - railroad worms
- certain mycetophilid flies
- certain centipedes such as Geophilus carpophagus^[1]
- certain millipedes such as Motyxia^[2]
a terrestrial mollusc (a tropical land snail)
- Quantula striata
annelids

Marine animals[]

Fish[]

Invertebrates[]

Artist's rendering of Antarctic krill

Many cnidarians
- Sea pens
  - Renilla reniformis
- coral
- Aequorea victoria, a jellyfish
Certain Ctenophores or "comb jellies"
Certain echinoderms (e.g. Ophiurida)
- Amphiura filiformis
- Ophiopsila aranea
- Amphipholis squamata
Certain crustaceans
- Ostracods
- Copepods
- Krill
Two species of chaetognaths
Annelids (Annelida)
Certain molluscs
- Certain clams, bivalves
- Certain nudibranchs, sea slugs
- few sea snails, such as Hinea brasiliana
- Certain cephalopods
  - Certain Octopuses
    - Bolitaenidae
  - Vampire squid
    - Sepiolida
  - Many Teuthida (squid)
    - Colossal Squid
    - Mastigoteuthidae
    - Firefly squid

Freshwater animals[]

Latia, a genus of four species of freshwater snail

Fungi[]

Bacteria[]

Photorhabdus luminescens
- Certain species of the family Vibrionaceae (e.g. Vibrio fischeri, Vibrio harveyi, Photobacterium phosphoreum)
- Certain species of the family Shewanellaceae, (e.g. and Shewanella woodyi)

Other microorganisms[]

Protists
- Certain Dinoflagellates (e.g. Noctiluca scintillans, Pyrodinium bahamense,^[4] Pyrocystis fusiformis ^[5] and Lingulodinium polyedrum^{[citation needed]}

References[]

^ Geophilus carpophagus – a centipede – Family: Geophilidae Archived 14 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Plant Press. Retrieved on 20 October 2011.
^ Myriapods: strange millipedes Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Herper.com. Retrieved on 20 October 2011.
^ "Nitric oxide in control of luminescence from hatchetfish (Argyropelecus hemigymnus) photophores". JEB. Journal of Experimental Biology. 25 July 2005.
^ "Gasparich, Sara. The Concentration and Distribution of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates in Vieques, Puerto Rico" (PDF). 20th Annual Keck Symposium. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
^ Schiro, Danielle; Eigner, Rachel (2008). "A Knight in Shining Armor". Pyrocystis fusiformis. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.

[1] Geophilus carpophagus – a centipede – Family: Geophilidae Archived 14 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Plant Press. Retrieved on 20 October 2011.

[2] Myriapods: strange millipedes Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Herper.com. Retrieved on 20 October 2011.

[3] "Nitric oxide in control of luminescence from hatchetfish (Argyropelecus hemigymnus) photophores". JEB. Journal of Experimental Biology. 25 July 2005.

[Gasparich-4] "Gasparich, Sara. The Concentration and Distribution of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates in Vieques, Puerto Rico" (PDF). 20th Annual Keck Symposium. Retrieved 13 December 2012.

[5] Schiro, Danielle; Eigner, Rachel (2008). "A Knight in Shining Armor". Pyrocystis fusiformis. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.

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