This image shows the colors of visible light by wavelength. In the first column of the table below, the color of the bioluminescent light released by each luciferase-luciferin combination is shown by a color-coded lowercase lambda (λ). In the sixth column, the wavelength (or range) of the light at peak emission is shown in nanometers.

Image adapted from a version uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by SiriusB.

λ	Phylogenic Protein Group/Analog	Luciferase	Main Substrate (Luciferin(s))	Endogenous Organism	Peak Emission Spectra (nm)	Paper DOI	Year	Other Characteristics
λ	Bacteria	Achromobacter fischeri luciferase	FMNH2, RCHO	Achromobacter fischeri	490	10.1016/0003-9861(56)90056-X	1956	Size: 58kDa Optimal pH: 6.5-8 Required Cofactors: Diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPN), flavin mononucleotide
λ	Bacteria	B. alginolytica	FMNH2, RCHO	B. alginolytica		10.1007/bf00409093	1979
λ	Bacteria	Vibrio harveryi (luxB)	FMNH2, RCHO	Vibrio fischeri (bacteria)		10.1111/mec.12474	2013
λ	Bacteria	Vibrio harveryi (luxE)	FMNH2, RCHO			10.1111/mec.12474	2013
λ	Bacteria	Vibrio fischeri (luxA)	FMNH2, RCHO			10.1111/mec.12474	2013
λ	Bacteria	Vibrio fischeri (luxB)	FMNH2, RCHO			10.1111/mec.12474	2013
λ	Bacteria	Bacterial luciferase (Vibrio harveyi)	FMNH2, RCHO	Vibrio harveyi		10.1126/science.10636771	1982
λ	Bacteria (Luminous)	Vibrio harveyi luciferase	FMNH2, RCHO	Beneckea harveyi	370	10.1021/bi00692a024	1975	Half life: 10-20sec "Reasonably high" quantum yield
λ	Bacteria (gram-negative marine)	Beneckea harveyi	FMNH2, RCHO	Beneckea harveyi	340	10.1016/S0021-9258(17)30300-9	1978	Size: 79kDa Optimal pH:6.7-7.0
λ	Beetle-luc		Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Phrixothrix vivianii	542	10.1021/bi9900830	1999
λ	Beetle-luc		Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Phrixothrix hirtus	628	10.1021/bi9900830	1999
λ	Beetle-luc	beta-cat-CBGluc	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Pyrophorus plagiophthalmus		10.1073/pnas.0704465104	2007
λ	Beetle-luc	beta-cat-Fluc	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Photinus pyralis	552-562	10.1073/pnas.0704465104	2007	Relative brightness is ~100x less than Fluc Other kinetics:2-3 h, EC50 of 50 ng/ml
λ	Beetle-luc	CBGluc	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus	593	10.1126/science.2655091	1989	Size: 543 amino acids
λ	Beetle-luc	CBYluc	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus		10.1126/science.2655091	1989
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (all firefly luciferases)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae	538-620	10.1007/s00259-008-0870-6	2008	Size: 62kDa Size: 550 amino acids Gene Size: 1500-1689bp Quantum Yield: 40-60% Required Cofactors: ATP Mg2 Other Substrates: CycLuc1 Gene names: luc+, luc2, luc2p, luc2cp
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (Lampyridae Luciola cruciata LcLut1)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae Luciola cruciata	554	10.1016/0167-4781(92)90071-7	2014
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (Lampyridae Luciola lateralis)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae Luciola lateralis	552	10.1016/0167-4781(92)90071-7	2014	Size: 60kDa Size: 548 amino acids Required Cofactors: ATP Mg2
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (Lampyridae Luciola sp. LcLut2)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae Luciola sp.	543	10.1016/0167-4781(92)90071-7	2014
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (Lampyridae Luciola mingrelica)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae Luciola mingrelica	570	10.1016/0167-4781(93)90172-a	2014	Size: 64kDa Size: 548 amino acids
λ	Beetle-luc	FLuc (Lampyridae Photinus pyralis)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Lampyridae Photinus pyralis	560-562	10.1016/0167-4781(93)90172-a	2014	Size: 61kDa Quantum Yield: 88% Optimal pH: 7.6
λ	Brazilian click beetle	Emerald luciferase (Eluc)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Pyrearinus termitilluminans	626	10.1117/1.JBO.20.10.101205	2015
λ	Brazilian larval click beetle	pBl-Pyt luciferase	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Pyrearinus termitilluminans	546	10.1562/0031-8655(2000)0720267BCDOPR2.0.CO2	2007	Optimal pH: 8 km: 150
λ	Copepod	Metridia longa	Coelenterazine	Copapod m. longa	480	10.1074/jbc.M309639200	2004	Size: 23.9kDa Size: 219 amino acids Gene size: 897bp Optimal pH: 7.2
λ	Copepod	GlucM43I	Coelenterazine	Gaussia princeps	470	10.1021/ac4003134	2013	Size: 19.9kDa
λ	Copepod	Gaussia luciferase	Coelenterazine	Gaussia princeps	480	10.1002/jgm.1463	2010	Size: 19.9kDa 185 amino acids Size: 558bp Optimal pH: 7.7 Required cofactors: Oxygen
λ	Copepod		Coelenterazine	Artificial Luciferase (ALuc45)	487-500	10.1021/acscombsci.7b00081	2017	Size: 21.2kDa 195.7 amino acids
λ	Decapod / deep-sea shrimp	Oplophorus luciferase (19kOlase)	Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	454	10.1016/j.pep.2007.08.002	2007	169 amino acids High quantum yield
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	GeNL (greenNanoLantern)	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	520	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	Cyan eNL	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	530	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	Green eNL	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	565	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	Yellow eNL	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	585	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Other kinetics: more stable than other eNL
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	Orange eNL	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	560	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	Red eNL	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	480	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Size: 34kDa 311 amino acids Gene size: 694-1629bp Quantum Yield: 6% Other substrates: bisdeoxycoelenterazine
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	GeNL(Ca2+)_60	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris		10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Required cofactors: calcium
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	GeNL(Ca2+)_250	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris		10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Required cofactors: calcium
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	GeNL(Ca2+)_480	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	480	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Required cofactors: calcium
λ	Decapod+FP-BRET	GeNL(Ca2+)_520	Furimazine/Coelenterazine	Oplophorus gracilirostris	520	10.1038/ncomms13718	2016	Required cofactors: calcium
λ	Dinoflagellate	L. polyedrum luciferase	Dinoflagellate luciferin (tetrapyrrole)	Lingulodinium polyedrum - dinoflagellate	474	10.1562/0031-8655(2002)0750311cacoaa2.0.co2	2007	Size: 46kDa High quantum yield of fluorescence that peaks at 474 nm Optimal pH: 6.5
λ	Dinoflagellate	P. Lunula	Dinoflagellate luciferin (tetrapyrrole)	Pyrocystis lunula	474	10.1562/0031-8655(2002)0750311cacoaa2.0.co2	2007	Inactive at pH 8.0
λ	Dinoflagellate		Dinoflagellate luciferin (tetrapyrrole)	Dissodinium lunula		10.1111/j.1529-8817.1976.tb02819.x	1976
λ	Dinoflagellate		Dinoflagellate luciferin (tetrapyrrole)	Pyrocystis fusiform		10.1111/j.1529-8817.1976.tb02819.x	1976
λ	Dinoflagellate		Dinoflagellate luciferin (tetrapyrrole)	Pyrocystis noctilu		10.1016/j.jembe.2004.04.012	2004
λ	Diptera (Mycetophilidae or gnats)	Orfelia fultoni luciferase	Orfelia luciferin	Orfelia fultoni	463	10.1038/s41598-020-66286-1	2020	Size: 220kDa Optimal pH: 7.8
λ	Earthworm	Eisenia lucens Luciferase	Nisovaleryl-3-aminopropanal analogue	Eisenia lucens	493	10.1039/c5pp00412h	2016	Optimal pH: 7 Required cofactors: atmospheric oxygen, hydrogen peroxide
λ	Firefly	LUC Mutation: Val241Ile	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Photinus pyralis	607	10.1016/j.ab.2005.07.015	2005	Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 28
λ	Firefly	LUC Mutation: Ser284Thr	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Photinus pyralis	615	10.1016/j.ab.2005.07.015	2005	Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 8 Other kinetics: Narrow bandwidth, favorable kinetic properties
λ	Firefly	LUC Mutation: Ile351Ala	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Photinus pyralis	573	10.1016/j.ab.2005.07.015	2005	Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 70
λ	Firefly	Photinus pyralis luciferase (high pH state)	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Photinus pyralis	562	10.1038/nphoton.2007.251	2008	Size: 60kDa Quantum Yield: 41.0+-7.4% Optimal pH: 8.5 Required cofactors: ATP and Mg2
λ	Firefly	PhRE	LH2, D-firefly luciferin	Photinus pyralis	622	10.1016/j.ab.2009.09.009	2010	Size: 61.154kDa Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 4.7 ± 0.6
λ	Firefly	CBR	LH2, D-firefly luciferin	Photinus pyralis	617	10.1016/j.ab.2009.09.009	2010	Size: 60.596kDa Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 22±3
λ	Firefly	Ppy RE9	LH2, D-firefly luciferin	Photinus pyralis	617	10.1016/j.ab.2009.09.009	2010	Size: 60.988kDa Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 84±5
λ	Firefly	Ppy RE8	LH2, D-firefly luciferin	Photinus pyralis	617	10.1016/j.ab.2009.09.009	2010	Size: 61kDa 8 amino acid changes Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 77±8
λ	Firefly	Ppy RE–TS	LH2, D-firefly luciferin	Photinus pyralis	610	10.1016/j.ab.2009.09.009	2010	Size: 61kDa Amino acids: 6: Thr214Ala, Ala215Leu, Ile232Ala, Phe295Leu, and Glu354Lys Optimal pH: 7.8 Km: 18±2
λ	Firefly	LcLL1	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Luciola cruciata		10.1016/j.gene.2005.10.023	2006	Size: 61kDa Quantum yield: 4.8 × 1015 photons/mg protein Optimal pH: 7-7.5
λ	Fireworm	Odontosyllis luciferase	Odontosyllis luciferin	Odontosyllis undecimdonta	507	10.1073/pnas.1902095116	2019
λ	Fireworm		Odontosyllis luciferin	Odontosyllis phosphorea	494-504	10.1111/j.1744-7410.2008.00149.x	2009	Optimal pH: 8
λ	Fish (obtained from ostracod)	P. ransonneti luciferase	Vargulin (Cypridina luciferin)	Parapriacanthus fish	456	10.1126/sciadv.aax4942	2020	Optimal pH: 8 Required cofactors: Glycerol
λ	Jellyfish		Coelenterazine	Aequorea victoria		10.1016/S0003-2697(02)00514-6	2003	Size: 27kDa
λ	Jellyfish	SAV–Aeq	Coelenterazine	Aequorea victoria	475	10.1016/S0003-2697(02)00514-6	2003
λ	Jellyfish	Parapriacanthus R	Coelenterazine	Aequorea victoria	510	10.1016/S0003-2697(02)00514-6	2003	Size: 42kDa
λ	Jellyfish (scyphozoan)	Periphylla luciferase-L	Coelenterazine	Periphylla periphylla	465	10.2307/1543094	1998	Size: 32kDa Quantum Yield: 0.14 Optimal pH: 7.8
λ	Jellyfish (scyphozoan)	Periphylla luciferase-O	Coelenterazine	Periphylla periphylla	470	10.2307/1543094	1998	Size: 75kDa Quantum Yield: 0.12 Optimal pH: 7.8
λ	Limpet	Latia neritoides (luciferase)		Latia neritoides	536	10.1246/bcsj.78.1197	2005	Size: 173kDa Optimal pH: 7.2 Km: 8.7uM
λ	Oligochaete	Diplocardia longa luciferase	Coelomic cells (N-isovaleryl-3-aminopropanal)	Diplocardia longa	507	10.1021/bi00762a008	1972	Gene Size: 20um Quantum Yield: 3% Required co-factors: hydrogen peroxide
λ	Oligochaete	Frederica luciferase	Fridericia luciferin	Fridericia heliota	478	10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00322	2016	Required co-factors: ATP, Mg2+, and atmospheric oxygen
λ	Ostracod (Sea-firefly)	G - Vargula Luciferase	Vargulin (Cypridina luciferin)			10.1006/abio.1997.2181	1997
λ	Ostracod (Sea-firefly)	Cypridina luciferase	Vargulin (Cypridina luciferin)	Cypridina (Vargula) hilgendorfii	452-460	10.1002/anie.202007440	2020
λ	Ostracod (Sea firefly)	Cypridina luciferase	Vargulin (Cypridina luciferin)	Parapriacanthus sp. fish	450-470	10.1126/sciadv.aax4942	2020
λ	Polychaeta	Green bomber luciferase		Swima bombiviridis	493-497	10.1007/s00227-016-3028-2	2016
λ	Polychaeta Tomopteris			Phyllodocidae	565	10.1007/s00227-016-3028-2	2016
λ	Polychaeta Flabelligeridae			Poeobius meseres	495	10.1007/s00227-016-3028-2	2016
λ	Polychaetes Flabelligeridae			Flota flabelligera	497	10.1007/s00227-016-3028-2	2016
λ	Railroad worm	pT-PxRe	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Phrixothrix hirtus	623	10.1562/0031-8655(2000)0720267BCDOPR2.0.CO2	2000	Optimal pH: 5 Required co-factors: ATP
λ	Railroad worm	pB1-PxGr	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Phrixothrix vivianii	548	10.1562/0031-8655(2000)0720267BCDOPR2.0.CO2	2000	Optimal pH: 5 Required co-factors: ATP
λ	Railroad worm	PxRE-R215K	Firefly luciferin (D-luciferin)	Phrixotrix hirtus	650	10.3390/ijms22010303	2020
λ	Renilla	Renilla luciferase	Coelenterazine	Renilla reniformis	480	10.4161/bbug.2.1.13566	(2011) 1979	Size: 36kDa Gene Size: 936 Other kinetics: Rate of energy transfer must be at least 3x10^8 s-1
λ	Renilla	CyanNanoLantern	Coelenterazine	Renilla reniformis	475	10.1073/pnas.1418468112	2015	Relative signal: 2 fold of CNL / ~20 time brighter than native renilla Other kinetics: More stable than other eNL
λ	Renilla	RLuc8-sFv	Coelenterazine			10.1039/C6MB00652C	2017
λ	Renilla	fcUni-RLuc	Coelenterazine			10.1039/c4an01946f	2015
λ		Metridia longa luciferase (MLuc7)	Coelenterazine (CTZ)	Metridia longa		10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.12.082	2005	Size: 16.5kDa Optimal pH: 7.5
λ		LumiLuc	8pyDTZ		525	10.1021%2Facschembio.9b00150	2019
λ		Phycomycetes luciferase		Water fungi		10.1146/annurev.mi.13.100159.000525	1959
λ		TOPFLASH (TCF-dependent Fluc reporter)	D-luciferin			10.1073/pnas.0704465104	2007	Gene Size: 5500bp