History Main / BioluminescenceIsCool

* UpToEleven in the movie of ''Literature/LifeOfPi''. Apparently ''every'' body of water glows piercing blue at night. Justified as bioluminescent plankton and pelagic worms really are very common on the tropical Pacific.

%%* The aliens from ''Film/TheAbyss''.

* In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'', all marine lifeforms are luminescent.
* The hanar race from ''Franchise/MassEffect''. They communicate via patterns of bioluminescence.

* As do the Underlost from ''VideoGame/SepterraCore''. That said, most of Shell 7 is covered with bioluminescent plants/fungi, serving as the primary source of light IN that layer.
* The Macalania Woods in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.
* The markings on the Demi-fiend in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' which TurnsRed when he's low on health.

* The Slylandro in ''VideoGame/StarControlII''.
* [[FungusHumongous Zangarmarsh]] and [[UnderTheSea Vashj'ir]] in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''
* [[TheLostWoods The Forest]], and the creatures who live there in ''VideoGame/{{CreaVures}}''. Interestingly, the bioluminescence on the eponymous [=CreaVures=] also serves as a [[ShowsDamage representation of your health]] (with it fading for a while if you're hit), and sometimes as an indication as to whether an aggressive animal is cowering or not (with ''theirs'' fading for a bit).
* Everything in ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns''' the Deluded Depths. Even Alice's dress has an angler and glowing dots and stripes.
* Glowing Fungus in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' in multiple colours. Some are edible.

** '''EVERYTHING''' on [[SingleBiomePlanet underwater planet 4546B]] glows. The fish glow, the plants glow, the coral glows, the seaweed glows, the giant translucent jelly mushrooms in that one cave glow. Which is extremely helpful, because it is really difficult to see where you are going at night without a flashlight. In a paranoia-inducing turn of events, the few things that don't glow include two relentless predators, one of which is also a gigantic oceanic monstrosity, so it's perfectly possible for them to sneak up on you at night.
** Its sequel, ''Subnautica: Below Zero'', continues this trend. Of note, the above-ground ice caves will sometimes have glowing speckles in their interior, creating [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome beautiful glittery effects in the dark]].

* She may not demonstrate it much, but Marie from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is a firefly squid and can presumably glow while in squid form. [[FunnyForeigner Jelonzo]] has been mistaken for a glowing blue ghost before, and the ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'' features CQ Cumber, a bioluminescent sea cucumber, and several flashlight fish who serve as background characters.

--> Evolution Awaits\\
Welcome to the hypnotic, deep blue abyss where bioluminescent creatures swim above and below you as you explore, evolve and survive.

* Definitely noticeable in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', which is arguably similar to ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' in its visuals.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in ''Film/PitchBlack'' due to the BizarreAlienBiology of the light-sensitive monsters that eat everything else on the planet [[FridgeLogic during every eclipse]]. [[spoiler:The glow-worms end up saving the lives of the survivors.]]

* The {{Kaiju}} from ''Film/PacificRim'' have glowing blood, alongside their glowing [[ThroatLight mouths]], [[GlowingEyesOfDoom eyes]], and [[VolcanicVeins markings.]]

* In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', when the team explores a dark chamber to retrieve the Orb from Ronan, Groot expels a cloud of bioluminescent seeds to light the darkness.

* ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous'': The series introduces several specimens of bioluminescent Parasaurolophus created by Dr. Wu.

* ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceotus'': The series introduces several specimens of bioluminescent Parasaurolophus created by Dr. Wu.

** Its sequel, ''Subnautica: Below Zero'', continues this trend. Of note, the above-ground ice caves will sometimes have glowing speckles in their interior, creating [[VisualEffectsOfAwesome beautiful glittery effects in the dark]].

TruthInTelevision, as many terrestrial fungi and marine species exhibit bioluminescence, including many octopi.

* Merfolk in the ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ByTheSea'' have bioluminescent markings all over their bodies that indicate emotion. Blue and purple, for instance, are used in courtship displays to communicate arousal or sexual interest.

* ''Videogame/DeepRockGalactic:'' With nearly all of the game being set entirely underground, many of the living creatures both hostile and otherwise glow. In every biome the [[AirborneMook Macteras]] and [[EliteMook Glyphid Praetorian]] helpfully present their glowing abdomens while trying to kill you, and some biomes like the Dense Biozone and Azure Weald are especially rife with bioluminiscence.

* ''Videogame/DeepRockGalactic:'' With nearly all of the game being set entirely underground, many of the living creatures both hostile and otherwise glow. In every biome the [[AirborneMook Macteras]] helpfully present their glowing abdomens while trying to kill you, and some biomes like the Dense Biozone and Azure Weald are especially rife with bioluminiscence.

* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' has an AlluringAnglerfish which in addition to being a terrifying predator looks ''very'' cool. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' includes a bioluminescent squid in a similar vein.

* In ''Film/Apollo13'' Jim Lovell/Tom Hanks relates a time when his airplane lights went out and he had to follow the trail of luminescent algae leading back to his aircraft carrier. [[/folder]]

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Crimestrikers}}'', Nyx Marama is a white-furred FunnyAnimal bat who can make her body (or part of it) glow in the dark for up to an hour at a time. She's also learned to use this power to create an attack called the Thunderflash, "a momentary blinding glow accompanied by an intense ultra-sonic noise, that can startle, stun and confuse an enemy."

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'': '''EVERYTHING''' on [[SingleBiomePlanet underwater planet 4546B]] glows. The fish glow, the plants glow, the coral glows, the seaweed glows, the giant translucent jelly mushrooms in that one cave glow. Which is extremely helpful, because it is really difficult to see where you are going at night without a flashlight. In a paranoia-inducing turn of events, the few things that don't glow include two relentless predators, one of which is also a gigantic oceanic monstrosity, so it's perfectly possible for them to sneak up on you at night.
** It's sequel ''Subnautica: Below Zero'' continues this trend, of course. Of note, the above-ground ice caves will sometimes have glowing speckles in their interior, creating beautiful glittery effects in the dark.

-->''Testimony Before an Emergency Session of the Naval Cephalopod Command'' by Seth Dickinson

[[quoteright:342:[[Film/{{Avatar}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bioluminescence_3731.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:342:[[SceneryPorn Pretty, isn't it?]]]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The protein [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciferase Luciferase]] and its relatives are the cause of natural bioluminescence, for example in fireflies. It has been put into other creatures to create glowing bacteria, etc.

* A more famous but unrelated protein is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_fluorescent_protein GFP]] (abbreviation for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Green Fluorescent Protein"]]). Its derivatives have been established as common tools for scientific research. It's not true bioluminescence: the protein is merely fluorescent, so it only glows under a light source. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GloFish GloFish,]] zebra danios genetically engineered to produce this and similar proteins, are marketed as aquarium fish by [[InvokedTrope invoking]] this trope in real life.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonXandY'' introduce Inkay and Malamar, bioluminescent squid Pokémon.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' have [[TheLostWoods Glimwood Tangle and the city of Ballonlea]], the former of which has bioluminescent mushrooms the player can touch [[BlackoutBasement to light up the area]].

TruthInTelevision, as many terrestrial fungi and marine species exhibit bioluminescence, including many octopuses.