A little help from little friends While most bioluminescent animals
synthesize their own light-producing chemicals, a few
animals have developed symbiotic relationships with bioluminescent bacteria. One
example is the anglerfish (pictured here), which uses a luminescent lure packed
with glowing bacteria. Another case is the flashlight fish. It has a large
light organ under each eye, where such bacteria grow in a nutrient-rich
environment that the fish provides. The fish can effectively
"flash" its lights by sliding flaps of skin over these light
organs, momentarily blocking the bacterial light.
