高冠三鰭魚(yú)在紅色過(guò)濾器下呈現(xiàn)紅色熒光色（右圖）,，在自然光線下呈現(xiàn)暗灰色（左圖）
據(jù)美國(guó)生活科學(xué)網(wǎng)報(bào)道,，目前，科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)許多魚(yú)類(lèi)喜歡紅色調(diào),，一些魚(yú)類(lèi)身體表面真實(shí)具有活力色調(diào)的熒光色,。
負(fù)責(zé)此項(xiàng)研究的德國(guó)圖賓根大學(xué)尼科·米切爾斯稱，到目前為止,，許多研究人員都認(rèn)為水上生物世界中并不是很歡迎紅色,，海水面上能夠直接吸收陽(yáng)光中的紅色波長(zhǎng)。根據(jù)陽(yáng)光波長(zhǎng)對(duì)海水的滲透性,，意味著在空氣中物體更易成為紅色,、在淺水中物體更易成為灰色、在33英尺以下的水面物體更易成為黑色,。不像紅色,，藍(lán)綠色光可以滲透至海面以下更深處，這就是為什么海洋看起來(lái)很藍(lán)。
但是近期的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)顯示,，魚(yú)類(lèi)有呈現(xiàn)紅色調(diào)的獨(dú)特方法,。米切爾斯說(shuō)，“這項(xiàng)最新研究結(jié)果將發(fā)表在最新出版的《BMC生態(tài)學(xué)》雜志上,，該研究顯示紅色熒光普遍存在于海洋魚(yú)類(lèi)之中,。”
米切爾斯在紅樹(shù)林海灣和紅海之間潛水時(shí)意外地發(fā)現(xiàn)一種身體發(fā)出紅色熒光的魚(yú)，這種魚(yú)被稱為“高冠三鰭魚(yú)”(highcrest triplefin fish),，在這片海域他深入分析了如何深紅色光滲透進(jìn)入水中,。他戴上潛水鏡從而確保自己僅能看到紅色光，他發(fā)現(xiàn)這種奇特紅色熒光魚(yú)有獨(dú)特之處——其眼圈旁有紅色斑點(diǎn),，紅色熒光照亮了全部身體或覆蓋著魚(yú)鰭,。
米切爾斯說(shuō)，“給人印象最深的就是眼圈周?chē)募t色熒光,，它的身體就像是被完全照亮,。”他指出，這種紅色熒光很可能是一種秘密通信或吸引注意力的信號(hào),。但是確切的原因尚未證實(shí),。這是由于紅色熒光是來(lái)自魚(yú)的身體，并非來(lái)自經(jīng)水面過(guò)濾后的光線,，這種魚(yú)發(fā)出的紅色熒光在海度深處可清晰地看到,，但只有到近距離時(shí)才能看清它的真實(shí)面目。他告訴美國(guó)生活科學(xué)網(wǎng)站,，“我們確信這是第一次在海域中發(fā)現(xiàn)這種紅色熒光魚(yú),，現(xiàn)將它作為一種珊瑚魚(yú)類(lèi)中一個(gè)重要的現(xiàn)象特征。”
據(jù)悉,，許多魚(yú)類(lèi)都顯示出具有藍(lán)色和綠色熒光的能力,，2005年，一種水母被確定可散發(fā)出紅色熒光,。散發(fā)熒光的現(xiàn)象通常是由于吸收了光線中的一種波長(zhǎng),，然后以另一種非常接近的波長(zhǎng)釋放，這種紅色熒光魚(yú)吸收了光線中的藍(lán)綠色波長(zhǎng),，再釋放出紅色波長(zhǎng),。
米切爾斯猜測(cè)紅色熒光在珊瑚和其他魚(yú)類(lèi)中是一種普遍現(xiàn)象，由于這項(xiàng)首次發(fā)現(xiàn),，他還在地中海發(fā)現(xiàn)其他多種釋放不同顏色熒光的魚(yú)類(lèi),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
BMC Ecology 2008, 8:16doi:10.1186/1472-6785-8-16
Red fluorescence in reef fish: a novel signalling mechanism?
Nico K. Michiels , Nils Anthes , Nathan S. Hart , Juergen Herler , Alfred J. Meixner , Frank Schleifenbaum , Gregor Schulte , Ulrike E. Siebeck , Dennis Sprenger and Matthias F. Wucherer
Abstract (provisional)
Background
At depths below 10 m, reefs are dominated by blue-green light because seawater selectively absorbs the longer, 'red' wavelengths beyond 600 nm from the downwelling sunlight. Consequently, the visual pigments of many reef fish are matched to shorter wavelengths, which are transmitted better by water. Combining the typically poor long-wavelength sensitivity of fish eyes with the presumed lack of ambient red light, red light is currently considered irrelevant for reef fish. However, previous studies ignore the fact that several marine organisms, including deep sea fish, produce their own red luminescence and are capable of seeing it.
Results
We here report that at least 32 reef fishes from 16 genera and 5 families show pronounced red fluorescence under natural, daytime conditions at depths where downwelling red light is virtually absent. Fluorescence was confirmed by extensive spectrometry in the laboratory. In most cases peak emission was around 600 nm and fluorescence was associated with guanine crystals, which thus far were known for their light reflecting properties only. Our data indicate that red fluorescence may function in a context of intraspecific communication. Fluorescence patterns were typically associated with the eyes or the head, varying substantially even between species of the same genus. Moreover red fluorescence was particularly strong in fins that are involved in intraspecific signalling. Finally, microspectrometry in one fluorescent goby, Eviota pellucida, showed a long-wave sensitivity that overlapped with its own red fluorescence, indicating that this species is capable of seeing its own fluorescence.
Conclusions
We show that red fluorescence is widespread among marine fishes. Many features indicate that it is used as a private communication mechanism in small, benthic, pair- or group-living fishes. Many of these species show quite cryptic colouration in other parts of the visible spectrum. High inter-specific variation in red fluorescence and its association with structures used in intra-specific signalling further corroborate this view. Our findings challenge the notion that red light is of no importance to marine fish, calling for a reassessment of its role in fish visual ecology in subsurface marine environments.
