Smalleye pigmy sharks' bellies shine: They glow for camouflage
Thursday, April 26, 2012 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
Smalleye pigmy sharks have an eye-catching party trick: Their bellies glow. However, instead of being a giveaway, biologists have shown that the fish's shiny undersides probably provide camouflage. They also discovered that the pigmy shark and another glowing fish, the lantern shark, regulate their glow using the similar mechanisms, although the pigmy shark is probably more closely related to their common ancient ancestor.