Tube-dwelling anemone fluorescing underwater, photographed at night using blue coloured flashlight and a yellow filter. Blue light excites pigments wi
Tube-dwelling anemone fluorescing underwater, photographed at night using blue coloured flashlight and a yellow filter. Blue light excites pigments within some underwater organisms causing them to emit a fluorescent glow. This tube-dwelling anemone harbours symbiotic algae which require light to photosynthesize, producing nutrients which sustain it. It is thought that in shallower waters, the fluorescent pigments in such organisms act as a sunscreen that prevents too much ultraviolet light damaging the algae. In deeper waters and lower light levels, it is thought that the fluorescent pigments absorb ultraviolet light and emit it at a wavelength which promotes photosynthesis in the algae. Photographed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Size: 5125px × 3410px
Photo credit: © EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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