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Observations upon luminous animals

1832; Royal Society; Volume: 1; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1098/rspl.1800.0214

2053-9142

Cephalopods and Marine Biology

Although the property of emitting light, which is possessed by some animals, has appeared interesting to naturalists of all ages, and although many detached memoirs have been written upon the subject, the author observes that the history of these animals is still extremely imperfect; and he endeavours to supply the defect by enumerating all the different animals which, to his knowledge, possess that property, and to ascertain, by dissection or otherwise, the parts of their bodies from whence the light issues, and, by experiment, to discover the circumstances necessary or accessory to the emission of light. The genera in which individuals certainly luminous are to be found are as many as twelve in number. There is one species of Pholas amongst the mollusca. Among insects are seven genera; Elater, Lampyris, Fulgora, Pausus, Scolopendra, Cancer, and Monoculus. Among the worms is one, Nereis. And in the class of zoophytes, the three genera of Medusa, Pyrosoma, and Pennatula.