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Squid and fish would seem to have little defence against elephant seal attacks, but their ability to produce bioluminescence may serve as a diversion strategy. To investigate this further, a team of scientists attached light sensitive tags to a group of five elephant seals on the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean, and two seals in Argentina. Their results suggest that squid and lantern fish perform a feisty strike back against attack by dazzling their foes with a bioluminescent flash that disorientates the seals and could buy time for their escape.
Journal/conference: Journal of Experimental Biology
Link to research (DOI): 10.1242/jeb.222810
Organisation/s: University of St Andrews, UK
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International
A female elephant seal with tags before leaving the beach.
File size: 4.5 MB
Attribution: Martín Ignacio Brogger
Permission category: © - Only use with this story
Last modified: 20 May 2020 8:09am
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