Bioluminescence & Fluorescence

A Survey of Biological Fluorescence

This is a list of species for which I've found references to fluorescence. The numbers following the species names refer to the appropriate citation below.

Calcareous Algae (3)

Coral
Euphyllia (3)
Goniopora (3)
Mycedium (3)
Manicina areolata (5)
Meandrina meandrites (5)

Echinoderms
Crinoids (3)
Clavelina picta (5)

Anemones
Solenopodium (3)
Condylactis gigantiea (5)
Phymanthus crucifer (5)
Unidentified tube anemone (15)

Cnidarians:
Unidentified Zooanthids (16)

Molluscs (Inorganic Shells)

Acteonidae: (8)
Acteon eloiseae
Pupa solidula

Angariidae: (8)
Angaria sphaerula
Angaria vicdani
Angaria atrata
Angaria melanacantha

Atyidae (Haminoeidae): (8)
Atys naucum
Atys cylindricum

Bullidae: (8)
Bulla ampulla
Bulla gouldiana
Bulla punctulata
Bulla occidentalis
Bulla striata
Bulla tenuissima

Cypraeidae: (8)
Cypraea mappa
Cypraea venusta
Cypraea cinerea
Cypraea pulchra
Cypraea subviridis
Cypraea isabella
Cypraea isabellamexicana
Cypraea lurida
Cypraea pantherina

Fissurellidae: (8)
Fissurella scutella
Fissurella dubia
Fissurella mutabilis
Fissurellidea bimaculata
Megathura crenulata

Hydatinidae: (8)
Micromelo undatus
Micromelo guamensis
Aplustrum amplustre

Marginellidae: (8)
Marginella angustata
Marginella denticulata
Marginella helmatina
Marginella piperata
Marginella reeveana
Marginella senegalensis
Marginella zeyheri
Marginella floccata
Marginella rosea
Marginella adansoni
Marginella nebulosa

Muricidae: (8)
Aspella cunninghami
Murex elongatus
Nucella lapillus
Nucella lamellosa
Ceratostoma foliatum

Neritidae: (8)
Nerita lineata - "most specimens negative, but a few with dull red fluorescence."
Neritodryas dubia
Neritina waigiensis

Ovulidae: (8)
Calpurnus verrucosus
Ovula costellata

Phasianellidae: (8)
Phasianella ventricosa
Phasianella australis

Stomatellidae: (8)
Stomatella planulata
Pseudostomatella papyracea

Strombidae: (8)
Tibia insulaechorab

Triviidae: (8)
Trivia merces
Trivia nix
Trivia pulex
Trivia exigua
Trivia monacha
Trivia ovulata
Trivia pediculus
Trivia solandri
Erato columbella
Erato scabriusculus
Erato voluta
Erato denticulatus

Trochidae: (8)
Clanculus puniceus
Clanculus pharaonius
Clanculus undatus
Clanculus margaritarius
Monodonta articulata
Tegula regina
Tegula viridula
Umbonium vestiarium
Umbonium giganteum
Gibbula umbilicalis
Monodonta dama
Phasianotrochus eximius
Trochus niloticus
Tectus conus
Tectus pyramis

Turbinidae: (8)
Bolma girgyllus
Bolma modesta
Bolma guttata
Bolma erectospinosa
Homalopoma sanguinea
Homalopoma lurida
Guildfordia triumphans
Guildfordia yoka
Astraea rugosa

Volutidae: (8)
Lyria cylleniformis - "most specimens negative, but a few with light to medium pink flush."

Dentaliidae: (8)
Dentalium aprinum
Dentalium elephantinum

Limidae: (8)
Lima lima
Acesta rathbuni
Ctenoides ales - ("Ctenoides philippinarum shows no fluorescence.")

Malleidae: (8)
Malleus albus
Malleus malleus

Pteriidae: (8)
Pteria sterna
Pteria penguin
Pinctada imbricata

Veneridae: (8)
Clausinella fasciata
Venus affinis

Crustaceans
Crangon septemspinosa (5)
A mantis shrimp, Lysiosquillina glabriuscula (12)
Unidentified sargassum shrimp (14)

Scorpions:
Androctonus australis (7)
Androctonus aeneas (7)
Buthus occitanus (7)
Centruroides spp. (1)
Euscorpius italicus (1)
Hadogenes spp. (1)
Hadrurus hirsutus (7)
Heterometrus spp (1)
Leiurus quinqestriatus (1)
Microbuthus litoralis (1)
Oiclus purvesii (7)
Opisthophthalmus spp. (1)
Palamnaeus fulvipes (7)
Pandinus imperator (7) (10)
Pandinus exitialis (7)
Parabuthus hunteri (7)
Scorpio maurus (1), (7)
Tityus trinitatis (7)
Uroplectes formosus (7)

Solpugids (1)
Ammotrechella stimpsoni (7)
Galeodes granti (7)
Rhagodes spp. (7)
Rhagodessa melanocephala (7)
Solpuga hostilis (7)

Palpigrads (1)

Whip-scorpions:
Damon variegatus (1)

Spiders:
Harpactura spp. (1)

Millipedes:
Doratogonas setosus (1)
Spaerotherium giganteum (1)
Motyxia spp. (4)

Centipedes:
Cormocephalus spp. (1)

Beetles:
Hipporhinus furris (1)
Sternocera orissa (1)
Genyodonta flavomaculta (1)
Ceratorhynchus derbiana (1)
Glyptoscelis squamulata (6)

Crickets:
Liogryllus bimaculatus (1)

Dragonflies:
Cordulegaster spp. (1)

Termites:
Reticulitermes tibialis (1)
Paraneotermes simplicicornis (1)

Butterflies:
Sphingicampa hubbardi (caterpillar) (1)

Fish:
Chain Catshark, Scyliorhinus retifer (13)

Reptiles:
Western Banded Geckos (1)
Corn Snake (Elaphe gutatta guttata), anerythristic x amelanistic cross (2)
Corn Snake (amelanistic) x Great Plains Rat Snake cross (2)

Birds:
Parakeet (11)

Fungi:
Aspergillus flavis (1)
Dentinum repandum (9)
Naematoloma fasciculare (9)

Cotton (1)

Bibliography:

(1) Stahnke, H.L. 1972. UV light, a useful field tool. BioScience 22(10): 604-607.

(2) McEachern, M.J. 1991. A Color Guide to Corn Snakes. Advanced Vivarium Systems: Lakeside, CA.

(3) Catala, R.L.A. 1964. Carnival under the sea. Paris, France: R. Sicard.

(4) Causey, N.B., and D.L. Tiemann. 1969. A revision of the bioluminescent millipedes of the genus Motyxia (Xystodesmidae, Polydesmida). Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 113(1): 14-33.

(5) Mazel, C. 1989. Optical magic: underwater fluorescence. Sea Frontiers (Sept.-Oct.): 274-279.

(6) Miller, J.A. 1989. Beetle's night life under black light. Science News 125: 407.

(7) Cloudsley-Thompson, J.L. 1978. Biological clocks in Arachnida. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 4(4): 184-191.

(8) Monfils, P. 1997. Personal correspondance and Autofluorescence in Marine Mollusc Shells. Message to CONCH-L.
http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/CONCH-L/digest/COA1May1997/0192.html

(9) Singer, J. 1997. Personal correspondance.

(10) Fasel, A. , Muller, P.-A. , Vauthey, E. 1997. Photoluminescence of the African scorpion "Pandinus imperator". Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B 39 (1): 96

(11) Pearn, S.M., A.T.D. Bennett, and I. C. Cuthill, 2003. The role of ultraviolet-A reflectance and ultraviolet-A induced fluorescence in the appearance of budgerigar plumage: insights from spectrofluorometry and reflectance spectrophotometry. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B, 270:859-865 (Courtesy Charles Mazel)

(12) Mazel, C. H., T. W. Cronin, R. L. Caldwell, and N. J. Marshall, 2004. Fluorescent enhancement of signaling in a mantis shrimp. Science, 303:51. [Courtesy Charles Mazel; More info on NightSea's site.]

(13): Eurekalert. Deep-sea exploration beneath Katrina's wake. Sept. 1, 2005. Also see: The day we found the Jaguar Shark, Operation Deep-Scope 2005.

(14) Operation Deep-Scope 2005. Image.

(15) Operation Deep-Scope 2005. Video.

(16) Operation Deep-Scope 2005. Video.

Miscellaneous Notes and Links

NightSea -- Underwater Fluorescence diving tours

I am looking for the complete citation for this paper dealing with biofluorescence. The citation I have is incomplete, so if you've seen it, please send me the citation.

  • Meisner, D.H. Psychedelic opossums: fluorescence of the skin and fur of Didelphis virginiana. (Journal unknown).

Japanese scientists have implanted a gene for green fluorescent protein into mice. The gene comes from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, and turns the mice green when exposed to a "blue light." (Same principle as a black light? I don't know.) Comes from: Holden, C. 1997. Jellyfish light up mice. Science 277 (4 July): 41

I've also seen one discussion group post stating that iguanas have fluorescent dewlaps. I'm waiting for someone to give me a citation on that, so until then, it's just a rumor. (Don't go trying this on your pet iguanas, by the way - UV light is dangerous to their eyesight.)

Haven't read the paper yet, but I found the complete citation for: Hulse, A.C. 1971. Fluorescence in Leptotyphlops humilis (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Southwestern Naturalist 16(1): 123-124.

Found an interesting chapter in Louis Psihoyos' (with John Knoebber) Hunting Dinosaurs (Random House, 1994). Fossil bones in the Morrison Formation in New Mexico are radioactive, and glow under a black light. This is due more to the fossilization process and local geology rather than any biological fluorescence, but it is interesting.

From the Scorpion-Enthusiasts list, Victor Fet noted that a paper has been published:

  • Stachel S.J, Stockwell S.A., Van Vranken D.L. The fluorescence of scorpions
    and cataractogenesis. Chemistry & Biology 1999, 6(8):531-539

Another paper:

  • Frost, L.,  D. R. Butler, B. O'Dell &  V. Fet. 2001. A coumarin as a fluorescent compound in scorpions. Pp. 365–368 in: Fet, V. & P. A. Selden (eds.). Scorpions 2001. In Memoriam Gary A. Polis. Burnham Beeches, Bucks: British Arachnological Society. [Download PDF here.]

An online PDF is available of Dr. Richard G. Woodbridge, III's 1961 article on shell fluorescence at: www.nightsea.com