Bioluminescence and Pigments

Bioluminescence is present in organisms across the tree of life and inhabiting diverse environments on the planet. Light emissions are used for specific communication purposes such as camouflage, attracting preys, and mating. The light produced in a chemical reaction is often modulated by pigmented tissues in the light organs. Although the chemical compounds vary, pigments can be categorized according to functions of light shields, control of light intensity, and spectral modification. In this chapter, we discuss the diversity of pigments present in different tissues of the light organs and their role in the alteration of the light emitted from bioluminescent organisms.