Bioluminescent signals spatially amplified by wavelength-specific diffusion through the shell of a marine snail

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Vol. 278; no. 1715; pp. 2112 - 2121
• Main Authors: Deheyn, Dimitri D., Wilson, Nerida G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 22.07.2011
• Subjects: Animal Communication; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Bioluminescence; Biophotonics; Emission spectra; Light; Light Manipulation; Lighting; Luminescence; Materials; Physical Stimulation; Shell Adaptation; Signal Dispersion; Snails; Snails - anatomy & histology; Snails - physiology; Transmittance; Visible spectrum; Wavelength-Specific Diffusion; Wavelengths
• ISSN: 0962-8452; 1471-2945; 1471-2954
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2203

Some living organisms produce visible light (bioluminescence) for intra- or interspecific visual communication. Here, we describe a remarkable bioluminescent adaptation in the marine snail Hinea brasiliana. This species produces a luminous display in response to mechanical stimulation caused by encounters with other motile organisms. The light is produced from discrete areas on the snail's body beneath the snail's shell, and must thus overcome this structural barrier to be viewed by an external receiver. The diffusion and transmission efficiency of the shell is greater than a commercial diffuser reference material. Most strikingly, the shell, although opaque and pigmented, selectively diffuses the blue-green wavelength of the species bioluminescence. This diffusion generates a luminous display that is enlarged relative to the original light source. This unusual shell thus allows spatially amplified outward transmission of light communication signals from the snail, while allowing the animal to remain safely inside its hard protective shell.