180 species of fish glow like light bulbs

American scientists recently discovered 180 species of glowing fish that often take refuge in coral reefs under the ocean.

Some fish species have been found to have the ability to glow fluorescently. Photo: Live Science

Researchers at the American Museum of Natural History in New York said that the 180 species of fish discovered to have the ability to glow were gathered after studying the populations of creatures in the Bahamas, the Solomon Islands and marine parks in the US.

The glowing phenomenon in these fish is called biofluorescence and cannot be observed with the naked eye, because the fish will "camouflage" themselves with neutral colors.

Fluorescent animals produce their own proteins that absorb light, then transform and create different fluorescent colors. Under the influence of blue light, humans can observe the fluorescence phenomenon in these fish with green, red or yellow colors. Some fish species only fluoresce in the eyes, while the fluorescent light in some other species is observed on the belly or back.

The research team said this was the first time they had discovered biofluorescence in fish, as previously this phenomenon had only been observed in jellyfish or coral.

Fluorescence is different from bioluminescence, which is commonly seen in many marine animals. This light can be observed with the naked eye.

According to vnexrpess