什麼是生物發光？
Bioluminescence is light produced by a living thing. The light comes from energy released by chemical reactions that take place inside the organism, or in substances it releases.
If you've ever seen a firefly, you've seen a bioluminescent creature. In the ocean, bioluminescence is not as rare as you might think. In fact, most groups of sea animals, from bacteria to sharks, include some species that can glow. Bioluminescent creatures live everywhere in the ocean, from the surface to the deep seafloor.
Scientists don't yet know why every animal does it, but bioluminescence is usually used to warn off or escape from predators, to attract or find prey, or to communicate with others of the same species.
Some sea creatures don't make their own light. Instead, they absorb light, change it and give it off again as a different color. This is called biofluorescence, and it may be used for communication and for finding a mate.
生物發光，就是生物自己發出的光。這種光來自生物體內，或牠釋放出的物質中，化學反應所放出的能量。
如果你看過螢火蟲，你就看過會發光的生物。在海洋裡，生物發光並不像你想像的那麼少見。事實上，從細菌到鯊魚，大部分海洋動物的類群裡都有會發光的物種。從海面到深深的海底，到處都有會發光的生物。
科學家還不清楚每一種動物發光的原因，但一般來說，生物發光是為了嚇退或躲避掠食者、引誘或發現獵物，或是和同類溝通。
還有一些海洋生物自己不會發光，而是吸收光線，把它轉換之後，再以另一種顏色發出來。這叫做生物螢光，可能被用來溝通和尋找配偶。