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A photophore is a light-emitting organ which appears as luminous spots on various marine fishes. The organ can be simple, or as complex as the human eye; eqipped with lenses, shutters, color filters and reflectors. The light can be produced from compounds during the digestion of prey, from specialized mitochondrial cells in the organism, called photocytes ("light producing" cells) from the nomenclature of ichthyology, or, similarly, associated with symbiotic bacteria in the organism that is cultured.

The character of photophores is important in the identification of benthic fishes.

In medicine, the photophore is an instrument (a type of endoscope) used to observe internal organs and tissues.

Compare: chemoluminescence, bioluminescenceBioluminescence is the ability of certain living organisms to produce light. The name originates from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence may be generated by symbiotic organisms carried within a larger organism. It is, biophotonBiophoton is a term used by some to denote those photons that are emitted by biological probes as part of the general weak electromagnetic radiation of living biological cells. The common term in science for this phenomenon is ultra-weak bioluminescence''

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