Researchers have discovered rare demon fire worms, classified as Polycirrus onibi, Polycirrus aoandon, and Polycirrus ikeguchii, in Japan that actually glow-in-the-dark. They can be found in shallow rivers and streams off the coast of Japan, emitting a blue and purple glow at night, which connect them to Japanese folklore of demons, also known as ‘yokai’.
Polycirrus aoandon looks like a blue lantern, Polycirrus are small with tentacles tend to give off a bright blue-violet glow. Then there’s Polycirrus ikeguchii, which was named after Shinichiro Ikeguchi, the former director of the Notojima Aquarium. The research team researchers hopes that this finding will enable them to deepen their understanding of the molecular nature of bioluminescence and the development of new technologies.
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We used the names of Japanese yokai, such as onibi and aoandon, for the new species because the hazy violet-blue bioluminescence emitted by the Polycirrus species is strikingly similar to the descriptions of these creatures found in folklore. Understanding these luminescence mechanisms contributes to medical and life science research. Bioluminescence is a treasure trove of interesting and unusual chemistry,” said Naoto Jimi, lead researcher at Nagoya University in Japan.
