Oceanic Deep-sea Luminous Fishes

The two species of Diaphus mentioned above contained relatively large amounts of coelenterazine and also exhibited weak but unmistakable luciferase activities (Shimomura et al., 1980). Thus, it is 

In the case of M. niger, the removal of the brown surface layer (apparently a filter) of the suborbital light organ and cutting open the organ resulted in a shift of the emission maximum from 702 nm to 

660 nm. It would be unlikely that two different light-emitting reactions occur in one organism. Thus, it would be reasonable to consider the occurrence of an energy transfer from the 469 nm light-emitter to the 660 nm light-emitter. 

Campbell and Herring (1987) isolated and partially purified a red fluorescent protein from the suborbital light organs of M. niger. The absorption spectrum of this red fluorescent protein had a peak at 612 nm, a shoulder at 555 nm, and a secondary peak at 490 nm. 

Its fluorescence showed two emission peaks, 564 nm and 626 nm the excitation peaks for the former emission peak were at 305 nm and 374 nm, and those for the latter were at 332 nm and 392 nm, indicating the presence of two different components in the preparation. It appears that the characteristics of the fluorescent proteins were altered by isolation and purification. 

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