Illuminated creatures light up museum

And the Lord said: Let there be bioluminescence.

Or words to that effect.

"There are so many creatures out there that produce light for a variety of reasons -- communication or to find a mate or find food or to protect themselves," says John Good, designer of the "Glow: Living Lights" exhibit on display through next spring at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. "It's such a cool phenomenon that animals can produce their own light, that alone is a wow factor."

Factors such as the lit appendages of the vicious, deep-sea anglerfish infamous from "Finding Nemo." Or the menacing, black-skinned vampire squid that can seemingly dissipate into a cloud of blue particles. Or the aptly named flashlight fish. They're not actually swimming through this walking tour of bioluminescent organisms -- defined as those that produce their own light -- but are explored through inventive interactive displays, photos, film, video, models, posters, jarred specimens and info-laden panels.

"A lot of these marine creatures are at depths that are at middle-ocean and difficult to bring up, so in lieu of that, we have some really amazing film footage from research organizations, including the Office of Naval Research," Good says, though he adds that live flashlight fish might splash into the exhibition sometime soon.

"They have bioluminescent pouches under their eyes, and it's how they look for food in caves and they can turn them on and off like a flashlight. They can also use it as an evasive maneuver if something is after them. They'll turn really quickly so the light trail goes one way and they turn it off and go the other, and the predator chases the light trail."

Atmosphere also contributes to the experience. "We've created a dark space for it," says museum executive director Marilyn Gillespie. "A lot of these animals either live in a very dark part of the ocean or a cave, so it makes for a more surround-atmosphere environment."

Organisms equipped with bioluminescence also offer promising medical applications. When the compound that causes the glow is synthesized and injected into another living cell, it will illuminate and can be identified by imaging equipment, a boon to cancer research.

Though most bioluminescent creatures call the ocean home, a few are land-based, such as fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, the source of childhood memories for many, of capturing the flashing insects -- actually, winged beetles -- in jars. Maybe a few billion or so could light a sign on the Strip, but for one pesky detail.

"There's no fireflies in Las Vegas, no fireflies west of the Rockies," Good says. "We see parents in the exhibit with their kids, and there's great video of kids catching fireflies. It's an experience kids in the desert and on the West coast don't have, so this is one way to understand it."

Now if science could just concoct a way to keep the airborne critters alive out West and pour a bunch of the little buggers into a hotel billboard, Las Vegas could transform from the Entertainment Capital of the World to the Alternative Energy Capital of the World.

Just be sure that aquatic bioluminescent bad boy -- the homely, horrifying, razor-toothed anglerfish -- doesn't wind up in the Bellagio fountains.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.