video

Glowing Dinoflagellate Meal

COSEE Florida and the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA)

Watch as barnacles feed on bioluminescent dinoflagellates. Barnacles are crustaceans (like crabs, shrimps and lobsters) that secrete their shells for protection while living attached to things like rocks, harbors or boat hulls. They feed by reaching their feathery feet out of their shells and grabbing for small plankton. In this video from COSEE Florida and the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), you can see the food that these barnacles are trying to capture because the dinoflagellates light up when the barnacles feet grab for them.