Glowing Stuff in the Bay? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

fishinfreak · 07-18-2010, 10:04 PM

so i took my inflatable out tonight at humphreys to watch a concert with my family. on our way back to our slip, in about 10 feet of water, i saw multiple glowing worm-like things on the surface. they looked very thin (paper clip thin) and short (the largest was about an inch). they glowed green just like a glowstick you would use for hooping or yaking. they cruised through the water in a spiral motion, and the wake they left was illuminated green just like their bodies. over a course of 100 yards i saw about 4 of these dudes on the surface. unfortunately i did not have a camera with me to snap a shot of them. anyone have any idea of what they could be???

TT5150 · 07-18-2010, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishinfreak

so i took my inflatable out tonight at humphreys to watch a concert with my family. on our way back to our slip, in about 10 feet of water, i saw multiple glowing worm-like things on the surface. they looked very thin (paper clip thin) and short (the largest was about an inch). they glowed green just like a glowstick you would use for hooping or yaking. they cruised through the water in a spiral motion, and the wake they left was illuminated green just like their bodies. over a course of 100 yards i saw about 4 of these dudes on the surface. unfortunately i did not have a camera with me to snap a shot of them. anyone have any idea of what they could be???

Not the best answer available but this is what I remember from High School

. The plankton in the water can create that affect when something activates them. Also some animals glow. Google bioluminescene, there are quite a bit of creatures that glow.

umtduckhead · 07-19-2010, 06:01 AM

try googling dinoflagellates .... these also are the cause of Redtide.

fishinfreak · 07-19-2010, 08:55 AM

i know that bioluminescence is often caused by something disrupting the water (kayak paddle, bubbles, a boat's engine) but these guys were just chillin on the surface doing their own thing, without any disruptance. when i went over them with the inflatable, however, they stopped glowing and we could not see them anymore. seemed kinda like the opposite of bioluminescence. instead of disrupting something to make it glow, it glowed until it was disrupted.

Jimmyz123 · 07-19-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishinfreak

i know that bioluminescence is often caused by something disrupting the water (kayak paddle, bubbles, a boat's engine) but these guys were just chillin on the surface doing their own thing, without any disruptance. when i went over them with the inflatable, however, they stopped glowing and we could not see them anymore. seemed kinda like the opposite of bioluminescence. instead of disrupting something to make it glow, it glowed until it was disrupted.

some fish are able to produce this in order to attract other marine life for food. The Angler fish that you see in Finding Nemo, that's a good example of what they use that light for. The light will attract other and then the fish will eat them as they get close enough. Again some fish can create this at any time.

Oolie · 07-19-2010, 03:11 PM

those things are out there year round, and they frequent that area with the "nuclear worms"

taggermike · 07-25-2010, 10:15 AM

Sorry for the lare post but I just saw the question. Those are glowing polychete worms (segmented worms). Or more correctly they are the reproductive segments of polychete worms. The worms live in burrows in the bay mud and cannot leave thier holes to spawn so each year they grow extra segments that hold the sperm and eggs. They cut these segments, called epitokes, loose at certain moon phases. The epitokes rise to the surface and whirl around to mix the eggs and sperm. Why they glow I don't think any one knows. Many marine polychete reproduce this way and in some south Pacific Islands the epitokes, called palolo worms, are collected and concidered a delicacy. Mike

fishinfreak · 07-25-2010, 01:27 PM

wow mike thanks for the insight. i guess i was just lucky to be out there at the right moon phase! it was the first quarter that night so that may be the right moon phase for it to happen!?! i'm definently going to bring my camera out there next time and get some shots of them if they're out there again

07-18-2010, 10:04 PM	#1
fishinfreak Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 45	Glowing Stuff in the Bay? so i took my inflatable out tonight at humphreys to watch a concert with my family. on our way back to our slip, in about 10 feet of water, i saw multiple glowing worm-like things on the surface. they looked very thin (paper clip thin) and short (the largest was about an inch). they glowed green just like a glowstick you would use for hooping or yaking. they cruised through the water in a spiral motion, and the wake they left was illuminated green just like their bodies. over a course of 100 yards i saw about 4 of these dudes on the surface. unfortunately i did not have a camera with me to snap a shot of them. anyone have any idea of what they could be???

07-19-2010, 06:01 AM	#3
umtduckhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 147	try googling dinoflagellates .... these also are the cause of Redtide.

07-19-2010, 08:55 AM	#4
fishinfreak Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 45	i know that bioluminescence is often caused by something disrupting the water (kayak paddle, bubbles, a boat's engine) but these guys were just chillin on the surface doing their own thing, without any disruptance. when i went over them with the inflatable, however, they stopped glowing and we could not see them anymore. seemed kinda like the opposite of bioluminescence. instead of disrupting something to make it glow, it glowed until it was disrupted.

07-25-2010, 10:15 AM	#7
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Sorry for the lare post but I just saw the question. Those are glowing polychete worms (segmented worms). Or more correctly they are the reproductive segments of polychete worms. The worms live in burrows in the bay mud and cannot leave thier holes to spawn so each year they grow extra segments that hold the sperm and eggs. They cut these segments, called epitokes, loose at certain moon phases. The epitokes rise to the surface and whirl around to mix the eggs and sperm. Why they glow I don't think any one knows. Many marine polychete reproduce this way and in some south Pacific Islands the epitokes, called palolo worms, are collected and concidered a delicacy. Mike

07-25-2010, 01:27 PM	#8
fishinfreak Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 45	wow mike thanks for the insight. i guess i was just lucky to be out there at the right moon phase! it was the first quarter that night so that may be the right moon phase for it to happen!?! i'm definently going to bring my camera out there next time and get some shots of them if they're out there again