Ok so bioluminescence has been a bit done to death, but for me, and most people I think, glowing living animals never seem to loose their novelty.
While fireflies (not the song, but the insect) are the most well known ambasadors for bioluminescence, all kinds of creatures create their own light, in the bug world we can include worms and glow worms (not actually worms, but fungus gnats).
New Zealand is known for it’s glow worms (species: Arachnocampa luminosa) particularly in the north island at Waitomo caves – a huge tourist attraction, and they are present in allsorts of caves, overhangs and shady forest banks across the country. They glow through waste processing and, to our current knowledge, excrete only light and water. And the glow attracts allsorts of flying critters to their beautiful traps = dinner. So its a bug eat bug life in the world of glowworms, but they arent the only ones…
New Zealand has a less known glow worm. These are the giant earthworm Octochaetus multiporus and they secrete bioluminescent slime – but i’m not sure why. Theyre also said to be one of the main foods of our giant Powelliphanta landsnails, and the image of a snail sucking up a giant glowing worm is rather fantastic, now I just have to find one.
I wont go too much into the chemistry of glowing as this woman covers the basic chemistry and the ocean dwelling glowers – and she has some great videos! so check it out.
And now a little fanciful thinking, to wrap a rather information heavy ramble…
You know those moments when the beauty of the world around you seems too great to be real, I had one of those on my trip to Cambodia last year.
We were in the southern region of Takaeo, near the coast, in the tidal region of a river travelling up to see the night sights. As we left the lights of town behind us I thought for a moment that the fluroescence on the boat’s hull was electrical, a second glance, and the memory that we weren’t that high tech, revealed thousands of green glowing algae. You could dip your hand in the water and pick up spots.
Then the light show started, in addition to the algae we came across great spindley trees full of fireflies, all flashing at their own pace, but eventually all in sync, against a background of violet skies cut with bolt lightning.
Its hard to describe the feeling, but it was one of awe at the wonders in this world, it made me feel small, and privelaged to be there.
awesomeness.
Sofie A Welvaert 
