Bioluminescent backlighting illuminates the complex visual signals of a social squid in the deep sea
Benjamin P. Burford, Bruce H. Robison
Abstract
Significance Visually cued animals that inhabit the deep sea must signal to one another in order to facilitate group behaviors, yet the capacity and mechanisms for information transfer in such a dimly lit habitat are largely uninvestigated. By examining in situ behavioral footage of the Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas , we demonstrate the potential for a deep-living social animal to visually convey and receive large quantities of information by combining complex pigmentation patterning with whole-body luminescence. Our findings reveal a capability for information sharing comparable to advanced forms of animal communication known from well-lit habitats. This may have important implications for ecosystem processes, as information sharing between abundant predators is involved in energy and nutrient transfer throughout the world’s oceans.