Remove ads
Acanthephyra purpurea, sometimes called the fire-breathing shrimp and deep-sea shrimp, [2] is a species of bioluminescent deep sea shrimp first described in 1881.[1] The species is known for 'vomiting' bioluminescent fluid when distressed, although the fluid likely originates from the hepatopancreas and not the stomach.[3]
| Acanthephyra purpurea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Acanthephyridae |
| Genus: | Acanthephyra |
| Species: | A. purpurea |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthephyra purpurea A. Milne-Edwards, 1881 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
A. purpurea expels large quantities of luminous fluid when distressed.[4] When it is discharged into the water, luciferin contained in the fluid reacts with oxygen to produce luciferase and light. It is believed that this fluid is intended to confuse or distract predators. A. purpurea is one of several species of deep sea shrimp that are known to expel bioluminescent fluid, including Heterocarpus ensifer, Systellaspis debilis, and Olophorus gracilorostris.[3]
The species is mostly gonochoric. It engages in courtship displays through olfactory and tactile cues, and usually employs indirect sperm transfer.[5]
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads