Fluorescent-Red Glowing Fish Found

[n2doc]

By Jeanna Bryner, Senior Writer
posted: 15 September 2008 07:42 pm ET

The red fluorescence of the highcrest triplefin fish, or Enneapterygius pusillus, can be seen when looking through a red filter (right). The fish appears a dull grey color under natural light. Credit: Nico Michiels et al.

Dr. Seuss had it right with "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish." Only put the emphasis on red.

Scientists have found that red is a favorite color among some fish and have discovered several that actually fluoresce in the vibrant hue.

Until now, many researchers had considered the color red way out of fashion in the underwater realm, where red wavelengths of sunlight are immediately absorbed by seawater near the surface, said Nico Michiels of the University of Tübingen, Germany, who led a team that discovered the red fish.

That means objects that look red in air or in shallow water appear grey or black at depths below about 33 feet (10 meters). Unlike red, blue-green light penetrates deeper and is the reason our oceans appear blue. But fish have found their own way to red.

The new results, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal BMC Ecology, show "that red fluorescence is widespread among marine fish," Michiels said
more:
http://www.livescience.com/animals/080915-fluorescent-fish.html

[XanaDUer]

1. It's pretty.

Thanks.