A Glowing snail? Now that's scary!

[Origami]

Marine snail glows

 

Here's another one that posted on MSNBC's front page today and involves bioluminescence. From it:

 

"A tiny marine snail that looks as if it could be at home dangling from a Christmas tree emits its green glow to scare off would be predators, according to a new study."

 

"The snail, Hinea brasiliana, is a type of clusterwink snail..."

 

"... rather than emitting a focused beam of light, the animal uses its shell to scatter and spread light in all directions."

 

"The effect likely makes the snail appear larger than it really is to scare off predators: In a laboratory experiment, the snail lit up when confronted by crabs and swimming shrimp."

[Coral Hind]

Now that would look pretty cool in a tank.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I wonder how it tastes.

[Origami]

Found on the east coast of Australia, apparently, in tropical waters according to this link:

 

http://www.sealifebase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?genusname=Hinea&speciesname=brasiliana#

 

As for how it tastes, Tim: For you or for Mr. Mantis?

[extreme_tooth_decay]

As for how it tastes, Tim: For you or for Mr. Mantis?

 

Fine question. I was thinking about for myself, but he and I eat mostly the same food.

 

This begs the obvious question of whether it would make his excrement glow.

 

Of course that begs the question of whether it would make mine glow.

 

Too many questions, too few answers...as usual in this hobby.

[Origami]

^^too funny. ROFLMAO.

[Coral Hind]

This sounds like an experiment is needed.

[mogurnda]

Very cool story. I went to the original article, and they did not discuss the specifics of how the light is generated, but it's likely to be a fluorescent protein (along the lines of green fluorescent protein or luciferase), so it probably would not get past your stomach without being broken down.

[Guest thefishman65]

If you really need to glow I hear that the glow sticks are non toxic and last long enough to get through the body. NO I have not tired it or verified they are non toxic, but watch out for glass.

[Coral Hind]

If you really need to glow I hear that the glow sticks are non toxic and last long enough to get through the body. NO I have not tired it or verified they are non toxic, but watch out for glass.

I'll pass but I might send that one to Myth Busters.

[Guest thefishman65]

Somebody beat us to it Discovery search "glow stick urine"

[extreme_tooth_decay]

so it probably would not get past your stomach without being broken down.

 

Don't ruin my fantasy!

 

I suppose I could inject it into my bloodstream and wait for it to work its way out through my urine. Then it would bypass my stomach.

 

Or, I could puke it up before it had a chance to be broken down.

 

Or, I could put the snail into a slow release caplet that will not dissolve until after it has gotten past my stomach.

[Origami]

Or, I could put the snail into a slow release caplet that will not dissolve until after it has gotten past my stomach.

Or more simply, a tiny ziploc.... Maybe you could use one of those seal-a-meal things? Ah, the possibilities are endless.

 

This thread is not going the way I would have expected.