Editing Ostracod (section)

===Bioluminescence===
Some ostracods, such as ''[[Vargula hilgendorfii]]'', have a light organ in which they produce luminescent chemicals.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Bioluminescence: Chemical Principles and Methods |chapter=The ostracod ''Cypridina'' (''Vargula'') and other luminous crustaceans |author=Osamu Shimomura |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DNrTfH5PcWoC&pg=PA49 |isbn=978-981-256-801-4 |publisher=[[World Scientific]] |year=2006 |pages=47–89}}</ref> These ostracods are called "blue sand" or "blue tears" and glow blue in the dark. Their [[bioluminescent]] properties made them valuable to the Japanese during [[World War II]], when the Japanese army collected large amounts from the ocean to use as a convenient light for reading maps and other papers at night. The light from these ostracods, called ''umihotaru'' in Japanese, was sufficient to read by but not bright enough to give away troops' position to enemies.<ref name="jabr">{{cite web|last1=Jabr|first1=Ferris|title=The Secret History of Bioluminescence|url=https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-long/secret-history-bioluminescence|website=Hakai Magazine|access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref> Bioluminescence has evolved twice in ostracods; once in [[Cypridinidae]], and once in [[Halocyprididae]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Anne C. |last2=Oakley |first2=Todd H. |title=Collecting and processing marine ostracods |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |date=May 2017 |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=347–352 |doi=10.1093/jcbiol/rux027 }}</ref> In bioluminescent Halocyprididae a green light is produced within carapace glands, and in Cypridinidae a blue light is produced and extruded from the upper lip.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Anne C. |last2=Morin |first2=James G. |title=Sexual Morphology, Reproduction and the Evolution of Bioluminescence in Ostracoda |journal=The Paleontological Society Papers |date=November 2003 |volume=9 |pages=37–70 |doi=10.1017/S108933260000214X }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Morin |first1=James G. |last2=Cohen |first2=Anne C. |title=Two New Bioluminescent Ostracode Genera, Enewton And Photeros (Myodocopida: Cypridinidae), with Three New Species from Jamaica |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |date=2010 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=1–55 |doi=10.1651/08-3075.1 |bibcode=2010JCBio..30....1M }}</ref> Most species use the light as predation defense, but the male of at least 75 known species of the Cypridinidae, restricted to the Caribbean, use pulses of light to attract females. Some species are the opposite where the females use pulses of light to attract males. This is seen in one example such as the [[Lampyris noctiluca|glow worm]]. This bioluminiscent [[courtship display]] has only evolved once in ostracods, in a cypridinid group named Luxorina that originated at least 151 million years ago.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ellis |first1=Emily A |last2=Goodheart |first2=Jessica A |last3=Hensley |first3=Nicholai M |last4=González |first4=Vanessa L |last5=Reda |first5=Nicholas J |last6=Rivers |first6=Trevor J |last7=Morin |first7=James G |last8=Torres |first8=Elizabeth |last9=Gerrish |first9=Gretchen A |last10=Oakley |first10=Todd H |title=Sexual Signals Persist over Deep Time: Ancient Co-option of Bioluminescence for Courtship Displays in Cypridinid Ostracods |journal=Systematic Biology |date=16 June 2023 |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=264–274 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syac057 |pmid=35984328 |pmc=10448971 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rivers |first1=Trevor J. |last2=Morin |first2=James G. |title=Female ostracods respond to and intercept artificial conspecific male luminescent courtship displays |journal=Behavioral Ecology |date=2013 |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=877–887 |doi=10.1093/beheco/art022 }}</ref> Ostracods with bioluminescent courtship show higher rates of [[speciation]] than those who simply use light as protection against predators.<ref>[https://nautil.us/bioluminescence-is-natures-love-light-243320/ Bioluminescence Is Nature's Love Light]</ref> The male will continue to swim after releasing its small ball of bioluminescent mucus, but the female is able to read the display to pinpoint the male's location.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/science/sea-fireflies-glowing.html Watch ‘Sea Fireflies’ Make Underwater Fireworks as They Seek Mates]</ref> In one species hundreds of thousands of males synchronize their light display, and when one male creates a pattern of light, the new pattern will spread out as the neighboring males repeat it.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/sea-firefly-mating-dance-1.7046972 Mating dance of sea fireflies is 'the coolest fireworks show that you've ever seen']</ref>