Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

As can be imagined, due to the deep sea habitat of many marine animals that bioluminesce, scientists are only beginning to understand exactly how this characteristic is employed.  However, the significant presence of convergent evolution (it is possible that bioluminescence has evolved more than thirty times in its evolutionary history), is evidence that it is a very advantageous characteristic. (6) Here two specific advantages are examined. Use of Bioluminescence in Defense   Use of Bioluminescence in Mating