A magnificent coral Iridogorgia magnispiralis (IMAGE)
Caption
A magnificent coral Iridogorgia magnispiralis, a deep-sea octocorals that are known to be bioluminescent.
Researchers now know the common ancestor of all octocorals likely already had the ability to produce its own light; they are interested in which of the group’s more than 3,000 living species can still light up and which have lost the trait. This could help zero in on a set of ecological circumstances that correlate with the ability to bioluminesce and potentially illuminate its function.
To this end, members of the research team are working on creating a genetic test to determine if an octocoral species has functional copies of the genes underlying luciferase, an enzyme involved in bioluminescence. For species of unknown luminosity, such a test would enable researchers to get an answer more rapidly and more easily.
Credit
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Deepwater Wonders of Wake
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Public Domain