Le secret des requins fluorescents et autres infos scientifiques (en anglais)

Scientists have figured out why certain species of shark can absorb blue light in the ocean and essentially turn the light green, making them appear to glow. It’s due to a newly discovered family of small-molecule metabolites in the lighter parts of the sharks’ skin, according to a new paper in the journal iScience.

The phenomenon is known as biofluorescence, not to be confused with a related phenomenon, bioluminescence. These are not « glow in the dark » sharks. Fluorescence is a phenomenon where light is absorbed and emitted at a longer wavelength. « There are some bioluminescent sharks, and some animals have both properties, making it even more confusing, » said co-author Dave Gruber of the City University of New York. « The simplest way to think about it is that some animals make their own light [bioluminescence] and some transform light [biofluorescence]. »….Suite sur Ars Technica : ICI

 

photo : Un requin de l’espèce « Scyliorhinus retifer ». HYUN BONG PARK et al. / iScience