Wednesday April 8, 2026
Discover Magazine —
There are many examples of members of the animal kingdom stealing from one another, whether it be prey, shelter, or nutrients. A fish species — known as the golden sweeper — has added a new, unexpected item to the list: the ability to glow.
New research, published in Scientific Reports, confirmed that the golden sweeper fish doesn’t produce its own bioluminescence at all, but steals the ability from other organisms.
This finding is the clearest evidence yet of a rare biological strategy called “kleptoproteinism,” and it could reshape how scientists think about how life works at the genetic level.
What Is Kleptoproteinism?
In most living organisms, biological functions are tightly controlled by genes. If an animal glows, it’s because its DNA encodes the machinery to make that happen. This principle forms one of the backbones of modern biology.
But the golden sweeper fish (Parapriacanthus ransonneti) breaks that form.