Light emitted by a new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus lailae, is camouflage and helps them to hunt, communicate and find partners. Earlier this year a new species of deep water shark, Etmopterus lailae, was discovered in waters surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Lanternsharks (Etmopteridae) are one of the most species-rich shark genera, with approximately 38 known species, 11 of which have been described since 2002. Tasmania's coastline glows in the dark as plankton turn blue Read moreThe lanternsharks are one of two deep sea shark families to possess the ability to bioluminesce – in other words, they are able to glow in the dark. Again, using the velvet belly lanternshark as a model species it was discovered that shark photophores are controlled by two different substances: hormones and neurotransmitters.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2017 11:37 UTC