by On the third night after the full moon in summer and fall, at 22 minutes after sunset, tiny marine invertebrates known as Bermuda fireworms light up the Caribbean in a bioluminescent mating ritual. And now, as Brandon Specktor reports for Live Science, researchers have unlocked the secret to the fireworms’ green glow: a special enzyme that has not been seen in any other bioluminescent animals.
The spectacular and precisely timed mating habits of the Bermuda fireworm have been historically well documented. It is believed that Christopher Columbus and his crew caught a glimpse of the amorous creatures on October 11, 1492, as they approached San Salvador island; in his diaries, Columbus mentions “the flame of a small candle alternately raised and lowered” in the dark waters.
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The spectacular and precisely timed mating habits of the Bermuda fireworm have been historically well documented. It is believed that Christopher Columbus and his crew caught a glimpse of the amorous creatures on October 11, 1492, as they approached San Salvador island; in his diaries, Columbus mentions “the flame of a small candle alternately raised and lowered” in the dark waters.
Continued...
Source
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