May 28, 2014

Red light for rivals



Tübingen University biologists show marine fish use red biofluorescence to communicate

The ocean is blue because red light is swiftly absorbed by the water. That’s why even a few meters below the surface, the sea and its creatures appear a dull blue color. Evolutionary biologists at the University of Tübingen are carrying out research into marine fish which have developed their own biofluorescence - producing bright red colors in the blue depths of the sea. In the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they demonstrate for the first time that fish are able to perceive their own biofluorescence and to use if to communicate with members of their own species.