What is special about North Auckland Worms?

What's over four feet long, half an inch wide and glows at night? A North Auckland worm. Native to New Zealand, this unique species is most commonly found in watery caves. At night, North Auckland worms luminesce, or give off light. They glow so brightly that one worm can produce enough light to read by! Caves filled with the glowing critters (as pictured here) are popular tourist destinations in New Zealand.

The North Auckland worm isn't the only animal that has this talent. Fireflies, lanternfish and several types of squid also have the ability to produce light. This characteristic is known as bioluminescence. It occurs when an enzyme in the animal's body converts stored chemical energy within cells into visible light. For most people, bioluminescent animals are fun to look at, but their unique ability is very interesting to scientists. The animals are able to produce light with very little excess heat and no smoke. Researchers would like to use the technique to create a reliable source of smokeless, low heat light.