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Feared by swimmers because of its painful sting
Read more and see additional images
The photographer
Matthew Smith spent the last 12 months at Bass Point Cove in New South Wales, Australia, photographing the Bluebottles and suffered numerous stings to his wrists and neck.
He used an 'over-underwater' technique with a waterproof lens dome he made himself to create his beautiful images.
Matthew Smith was attracted to the creatures, also known as bluebottles, because of their vivid colouring.
Found in tropical and subtropical waters, the bluebottles live at the water’s surface (pictured left and right) and because they have no means of propulsion, are carried along by currents, winds and tides
What is bioluminescence?
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.
It occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi and microorganisms such as phytoplankton.
The word comes from the Greek 'bios' for living and the Latin 'lumen' for light.
Bioluminescence is a type of light energy produced by a chemical reaction.
Different types of animals use bioluminescence in different ways.
Deep sea squid use it for counter illumination camouflage so they match their environmental light, but Anglefish use it to lure prey with a light-up dangling appendage from their head that draws in smaller fish, which they can eat.
Fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates by flashing their abdomens, while their larvae use it to repel predators.
Source
More on the Portuguese Man O' War or Blueblottle
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