Curiosities from the underwater world - glowing shrimps
The sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) is a single-celled tiny organism living in the sea, which is part of the plankton. Together with other microorganisms, it is carried by currents. It is actually an alga from the dinoflagellate group (Dinozoa), but unlike other algae, it does not feed through photosynthesis. Believe it or not, although its size is a maximum of 2 millimeters, it feeds on other food. It hunts neighboring microorganisms that make up the plankton. Visually, if you looked at the sea sparkle under a microscope, you would see a small balloon with a "string." This flagellum allows them to change direction and then catch prey, which they place into a thin slit, resembling a "mouth."
Although they are transparent, if they consume a particular type of alga, they turn red. As a result, the phenomenon of a red tide can be observed – the surface of the sea suddenly turns red. At other times, with different algae, the sea’s surface appears green and shiny.
If you were to swim in such waters, every movement you made would glow. This is because the sea sparkle lights up whenever something touches them.
If you want to make sure to experience this phenomenon, visit Mosquito Bay in Puerto Rico. There, the sea glows all year round.
Shrimp are quite fond of eating sea sparkles. However, the sea sparkle also glows inside the shrimp's stomach. As a result, the belly of this small transparent crustacean begins to glow, which attracts cuttlefish, octopuses, and other creatures that won’t take long to strike. The shrimp have no way to stop glowing, and so they are quickly eaten.
Scientists have studied why the sea sparkles don't stop glowing, even when they are in the shrimp’s stomach. One theory is that since they reproduce by division, they feel a connection with other sea sparkles, which are essentially their "siblings." Therefore, if we can say so, they wish for their predator to become prey itself. Another possibility is that they simply cannot stop glowing.
