List of bioluminescent organisms

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms. The environment organizes this list of bioluminescent organisms, covering terrestrial, marine, and microorganisms.

Terrestrial animals

• Certain arthropods
• Coleoptera (beetles)
• Lampyridae (Fireflies)
• Phengodidae (Glowworm beetles)
• railroad worms
• Rhagophthalmidae
• Sinopyrophoridae
• Certain Elateridae (Click beetles)
• Pyrophorini
• Balgus
• Campyloxenus
• Diptera (true flies)
• Certain keroplatid fungus gnats
• Myriapoda
• Certain centipedes
• Geophilus carpophagus
• Orphnaeus brevilabiatus
• Certain millipedes
• Genus Motyxia
• Some land snails<nowiki/>
• Quantula striata
• Quantula weinkauffiana
• Genus Phuphania
• Annelids
• Octochaetus multiporus
• Microscolex phosphoreus
• Pontodrilus litoralis

Marine animals

Fish

• Anglerfish
• Gulper eel
• Lanternfish
• Stomiiformes
• Marine hatchetfish
• Viperfish
• Black dragonfish
• Midshipman fish
• Pineconefish
• Lanterneye fish
• Some Squaliformes
• Lantern sharks
• Kitefin sharks
• Velvet dogfish

Invertebrates

• A deep-sea species of carnivorous sponge (Cladorhizidae)
• Many Cnidarians
• Sea pens
• Renilla reniformis
• Coral
• Certain Jellyfish
• Aequorea victoria
• Atolla jellyfish
• Helmet jellyfish
• Certain Ctenophores (comb jellies)
• Some Tunicates:
• Larvaceans
• Salps
• Ascidiacea
• Doliolida
• Pyrosomes
• Certain echinoderms (e.g. Ophiurida)
• Amphiura filiformis
• Ophiopsila aranea
• Ophiopsila californica
• Amphipholis squamata
• Many Crustaceans:
• Seed shrimp (Myodocopa)
• Copepods
• Lophogastrids (Gnathophausia)
• Amphipods
• Krill
• Decapods (shrimp and prawn)
• Genus Heterocarpus
• Two species of Chaetognaths (arrow worms)
• Caecosagitta macrocephala
• Eukrohnia fowleri
• Annelida
• Genus Tomopteris
• Genus Swima
• Certain polynoids
• Mollusca
• Certain Bivalves (clams)
• Pholas dactylus
• Certain Nudibranchs (sea slugs)
• Plocamopherus maderae
• Certain sea snails
• Hinea brasiliana
• Many Cephalopods
• Certain Octopuses
• Bolitaenidae
• Stauroteuthis
• Vampire squid
• Sepiolida
• Many Teuthida (squid)
• Cranchiidae
• Colossal Squid
• Mastigoteuthidae
• Histioteuthidae
• Enoploteuthoidea
• Firefly squid

Freshwater animals

• Latia, a genus of four species of freshwater snail

Fungi

Bacteria

• Photorhabdus luminescens
• Certain species of the family Vibrionaceae (e.g. Vibrio fischeri, Vibrio harveyi, Photobacterium phosphoreum)
• Certain species of the family Shewanellaceae, (e.g. Shewanella hanedai and Shewanella woodyi)

Other microorganisms

• Protists
• Certain Dinoflagellates (e.g. Noctiluca scintillans, Pyrodinium bahamense, Pyrocystis fusiformis and Lingulodinium polyedra

References