Underwater 'night lights'

A mauve stinger lights up the Bay of Bengal in Saint Martin's Island. Just as this underwater photographer was wrapping up his work for the night, he could not but get hypnotised by the bioluminescent creature floating in front of him.

It was a stroke of luck as this flashing glow doesn't last long. Like most bioluminescent creatures, this jellyfish also lights up to deter predators.

Its formal name "Pelagia noctiluca" literally means "night light" in German because of its ability. Found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas, this is the most studied species of jellyfish as its glowing mucous is believed to contain useful proteins.

A mauve jellyfish, covered in stingers, can pack quite the punch in its sting, which, however, is not life threatening.