ABSTRACT
Amphipholis squamata is a brooding ophiuroid whose arms are bioiuminescent. The intensity of the emitted light was measured on 350 individuals of two different colour patterns (beige and black coloured ophiuroids) present in the investigated population. For all size-classes, the black ophiuroids always produce a much more intense light than the beige ones (about 80 to 100 times more). It was also demonstrated that individuals of the same size and the same colour pattern produce light of different intensity according to whether they are brooding or not, the light produced by brooding ophiuroids being always the more intense. Works are in progress to clarify the biological and ecological significance of bioluminescence in A squamata.
