The Luminous Fishes

Haneda, Y., and Tsuji, F. I. (1971). Light production in the luminous fishes Photoblepheron and Anomalops from the Band Islands. Science 173 143-145. 

The enol-sulfate form (I), which is the precursor of the luciferin in the bioluminescence system of the sea pansy Renilla (Hori et al., 1972), can be readily converted into coelenterazine by acid hydrolysis. The enol-sulfate (I), dehydrocoeienterazine (D) and the coelenterazine bound by the coelenterazine-binding proteins are important storage forms for preserving unstable coelenterazine in the bodies of luminous organisms. The disulfate form of coelenterazine (not shown in Fig. 5.5) is the luciferin in the firefly squid Watasenia (Section 6.3.1). An enol-ether form of coelenterazine bound with glucopyra-nosiduronic acid has been found in the liver of the myctophid fish Diapbus elucens (Inoue et al., 1987). 

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. 

Campbell, A. K., and Herring, P. J. (1987). A novel red fluorescent protein from the deep sea luminous fish Malacosteus niger. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 86B 411-417. 

Iwai, T., and Asano, H. (1958). On the luminous cardinal fish, Apogon ellioti Day. Sci. Rep. Yokosuka City museum 3 5-12. 

It has been known for centuries that many compounds emit visible radiation when they are exposed to sunlight. Luminescence phenomena, such as the aurora borealis, phosphorescence of the sea, luminous animals and insects, phosphorescent wood, etc., have fascinated man since antiquity, being reflected in the early scientific literature. Aristotle (384-322 b.c.) appears to be one of the first philosophers to recognize cold light in dead fish, fungi, and the luminous secretion of the cuttlefish [1],... 

Oshima H. Some observations on the luminous organs of fishes. J Coll Sci, Imp Univ, Tok 1911 27 1-25. 

Let the crucible cool for one day and open it. The Medicine will have entirely sublimated, and will adhere to the upper half of the crucible. Its appearance will be like frost and snow it will be purple, red, vermilion, and green, like a five-colored luminous efflorescence. It will have a thickness of two inches or more. Brush it with a feather to collect it, and add to it the gall of a yellow dog (huanggou dadan), [8a] or the Leftover Fishes of the Count of the River hebo yuyu). 

Quorum sensing may be useful for symbiotic associations, and especially for bioluminescent fish and ceph-alopods. The Hawaiian squid Euprymna sco/opcs hosts the luminous bacteria Vibrio fisheri in its light organs, and uses quorum sensing to bioluminescence at high cell densities with 3-oxo-C6-HSL as autoinducer (Ruby and Lee, 1998). 

Fukasawa, S., Suda, T., and Kubota, S. (1988). Identification of luminous bacteria isolated from the light organ of the fish. Aeropoma japonicum. Agric. Biol. Chem. 52 285-286. 

Haygood, M. G., and Cohn, D. H. (1986). Luciferase genes cloned from the unculturable luminous bacteroid symbiont of the Caribbean flashlight fish, Kryptophanaron alfredi. Gene 45 203-209. 

Colorless gas with an odor of decaying fish flammable burns with a luminous flame density 1.492 g/L liquefies at -87.7°C solidifies at -133°C critical temperature 51.35°C critical pressure 64.55 atm slightly soluble in water the solution is weakly basic. 

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