Future Research on Fish Bioluminescence

Chemical studies on fish luminescence have been hampered by difficulties in obtaining specimens and the minute sizes of the luminous organs and photophores. Despite the setbacks, it might be possible to find out the basic nature of a luminescence reaction when coelenterazine (or Cypridina luciferin) is utilized in the luminescence. Once the basic nature of the luminescence reaction is found, then further details might become available by comparison with an organism having the same type of luminescence system. 

The first step of a chemical study should be the quantitative measurements of coelenterazine, dehydrocoelenterazine, and a coelenter-azine-specific luciferase, in the light organs, liver, digestive tract (with empty stomach), and eggs if available (see Section C5 of Appendix for the method). A clear, unequivocal presence of a coelenterazine luciferase indicates the involvement of a luciferin-luciferase system, 

Phylum Class Sub-class Order Family Luminous genus 

FUNGI Basidiomycetes Agaricales Agaricaceae Panellus, Mycena, Pleurotus, Armillaria, Omphalia, etc. 

PROTOZOA Radiolaria Dinoflagellata Collozoum, Tbalassicolla, etc. Noctiluca, Dissodinium, Go nyaulax (Lingulodinium), Peridinium, Pyrodinium, Pyrocystis, etc. 

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