Violet bioluminescent Polycirrus sp. (Annelida: Terebelliformia) discovered in the shallow coastal waters of the Noto Peninsula in Japan.

ABSTRACT: Terebellidae worms have large numbers of tentacles responsible for various biological functions. Some Terebellidae worms whose tentacles emit light are found around the world, including exceptional violet-light-emitting Polycirrus spp. found in Europe and North America. However, there is no video-recorded observation of the luminous behavior of such unique species in nature, and the genetic information related to their ecology are lacking. Here, for the first time, we video-recorded the violet-light-emitting behavior of an undescribed Japanese worm in its natural habitat. The worm was designated as Polycirrus sp. ISK based on morphological observations, and the luminescence spectrum showed a peak at 444 nm, which is an exceptionally short wavelength for bioluminescence in a shallow coastal

SUBMITTER: Kanie S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8476577 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature