Tiny glow-in-the-dark creature found while scuba diving

Scuba divers are an adventurous bunch, willing to strap on tanks of compressed air and slip beneath the waves to explore a world that few have the privilege of seeing. It is a world of indescribable beauty and strange sights. Animals of all kinds live among the corals and most are completely unlike anything found above the surface.

Scuba divers in Papua New Guinea had come across what appeared to be an inverted anemone, a venomous creature that looks like a plant. It uses its sting to paralyze and then eat small creatures and fish. But closer inspection of the anemone revealed something even more fascinating. There was a small, transparent shrimp crawling across the anemone. Impervious to the venom, the shrimp was able to walk on the surface without being harmed. Amazingly, this tiny shrimp had luminescent patches of bright yellow on its shell.

This shrimp had found a home far below the surface where light was dim. Its glow-in-the-dark ability may have had something to do with attracting potential mates, or attracting food. It was not much bigger than a common ladybug.

Shrimp are found in great numbers at night when they come out to feed. Their highly reflective red eyes make them easy for scuba divers to see with the aid of a dive light. But it is rare to see one in the open during the day. It is even more rare to see one that actually glows.

Each time a diver enters the water, it is inevitable that they will see something very different than the dives before. The creatures on the reef are incredibly diverse and many are difficult to even see.

Scuba diving is not without risks, but with proper training and guidance and appropriate precautions, it can be a very safe sport that will open up a world of complete wonder.