Abyssal echinoderm’s bioluminescence
(2018) 16th International Echinoderm Conference — Location: Nagoya, Japan (28.May.2018)
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- Abstract
- Virtually unknown the abyssal floor (from 2000 to 6000m deep) represents the vastest biotope on Earth (about 50% of the planet surface) and it is quite recently that a systematic exploration was conducted by one international consortium called CeDEMar (Census of the Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life). An astonishing biodiversity was found but it is believed that only 1% of this dark cold biotope has been sampled and a huge number of organisms remain unknown. Rarely sampled, the abyssal benthic fauna capability to produce light is virtually unknown. Using remote camera and autonomous lander, abyssal luminous organisms were either not recognized or could not be identified at specific level but most of them belong the following taxa: Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Copepods and Echinoderms. During a recent expedition on the East coasts of Australia, systematic surveys of abyssal plains from Hobart to the Great Barrier Reef were realized using bottom beam trawls. These brought back at the surface specimens that were observed in a cold dark room enabling us to document for the first time some bioluminescent display of rarely seen organisms using sensitive camera, video recordings, luminometer and microspectrophotometer. Images and data from benthic abyssal echinoderms revealed the diversity of bioluminescence, ranging from slow glow to brief flash, from blue to green emitters. Our study brings unique results that will be added to the only known work done by Herring, about deep-sea echinoderms luminescence, dated from 1977. Work is in progress to describe abyssal echinoderms distribution within the different classes of the phylum. Deep down spiny critters shine light but for what purpose, this remains a mystery, new expeditions will be necessary to better understand abyssal echinoderm’s bioluminescence.
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Mallefet, J., Eleaume, M., & O’hara, T. (2018). Abyssal echinoderm’s bioluminescence. 16th International Echinoderm Conference, Nagoya, Japan. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/56703