Moonlight influences opening and closing of oysters' shells

Molluscs not only have tidal and circadian clocks but are attuned to lunar rhythms, experts say

The gentle glow of moonlight on water has moved musicians, poets and painters - and, it turns out, molluscs. Researchers have discovered the opening and shutting of oysters' shells appears to be tied to the lunar cycle.

Biological clocks have intrigued scientists for centuries, and researchers in the field won the 2017 Nobel prize for studies into the 24-hour body clock.