Bio luminescent Arthropod?

[JKrumsick 3]

Whenever I would make my descent in Lembeh I would see these little bio luminescent arthopods... and after some tries I got a photo of one! Can anyone give me a species name?

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64161944@N02/.../in/photostream

 

Thanks,

[liquidguru 17]

These crustacean are circumtropical. As well as seeing them in Lembeh, I also used to see a lot in the Caribbean, though usually in the early morning. We called them 'Octopods', though I'm not sure of the exact species. I don't think they are bio luminescent, they just reflect the sunlight when in certain positions, which is why you do not see them all the time and they seem to turn on and off.

Edited August 13, 2011 by liquidguru

[Leslie 0]

Copepods, genus Sapphirina. They're very common throughout the seas. Here are some close ups

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/3993...157624819281463

 

http://www.imagequest3d.com/pages/articles.../sapphirina.htm

 

http://www.animalsandearth.com/photo/view/...na%20sp#viewed#

 

http://solvinzankl.photoshelter.com/galler...0000s5ZF4MhSkhU

[Alex_Mustard 0]

AFAIK, they are not bioluminescent, instead the males of this species have these flattened bodies and can reflect light in this way, rather than emit it.

 

SO even rarer trick that biolum.

 

Alex

 

EDIT: just read Peter Parks saying the same thing, but with more authority, on the link Lesley posted above.