Bioluminescence Ophiuroids

Mallefet J, Hendler G, Herren CM., McDougall C, Case J. A new bioluminescent ophiuroid species from the coast of California. In press. In Heinzeller T. Nebelsick J. eds. Echinoderms 2003. Rotterdam Balkema. 

Despite the reasonable number of luminous species, a. literature survey of the last thirty years provided us with limited information about echinoderm luminescence. Inspection of luminous echinoderms listing reveals that within the echinoderm phylum bioluminescence is not uniformly distributed in each classes with 38 and 30 species, ophiuroids and holothurians represent 78 % of the echinoderm luminous species while asteroids and crinoids correspond respectively to 23 and 3% of the phenomenon. The total absence of luminescent species in echinoids remains unsolved (Fig. IB). It must be pointed out that when available, echinoderm luminescence studies have been mostly carry out on the ophiuroids largely because some species are easily observable in situ, collected and kept in captivity allowing experimental works. 

The increased occurrence of the bioluminescence in ophiuroids suggests that luminescence is more widespread than initially thought, raising questions about the functional importance of luminescence in this echinoderms class. 

Vanderlinden C, Dewael Y, Mallefet J. Screening of second messengers involved in photocyte bioluminescence control of three ophiuroid species (Ophiuroidea, Echinodermata). J Exp Biol 2003 206 3007-14. 

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