The #Hawaiian bobtail #squid (Euprymna scolopes) is not only possibly the most adorable squid in #existence, it's also a #glowing example of #symbiosis. Literally.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Its underside contains a two-chambered #light organ that is full of #luminous #bacteria called Vibrio fischeri who feed off of a sugar and amino acid solution produced by the squid. At night, this bacterial glow matches the #moonlight from above the #ocean, canceling out the squid's #silhouette and hiding it from predators.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ The #relationship begins in a newborn squid, where beating #cilia first draw in a mix of bacteria. When just five V. fischeri cells touch the squid, a whole host of squid #genes are triggered—some creating a toxic environment for other #microbes and others producing a substance that attracts even more V. fischeri. Once inside, a cascade of further changes seal the V. fishcheri within.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ V. fischeri, alone, has the ability to #colonize the bobtail squid, and it alone has the power to establish...