Aphrodita aculeata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Subclass: Errantia
Order: Phyllodocida
Family: Aphroditidae
Genus: Aphrodita
Species:
A. aculeata
Binomial name
Aphrodita aculeata
Dorsal view, removed from water

Aphrodita aculeata, the sea mouse, is a marine polychaete worm found in the North Atlantic, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. The sea mouse normally lies buried head-first in the sand. It has been found at depths of over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).[2]

Etymology

The name of the genus is taken from Aphrodite, the Ancient Greek goddess of love, said to be because of a supposed resemblance to human female genitalia.[3] The English name may derive from the resemblance to a bedraggled house mouse when washed up on shore.[4] The specific name aculeata is the Latin for spiny.

Description

The body of the sea mouse is covered in a dense mat of setae (hairlike structures).[5] Adults generally fall within a size range of 10 to 20 centimetres (3.9 to 7.9 in).

Structural coloration

The spines, or setae,[5] on the scaled back of the sea mouse are one of its unique features. Normally, these have a deep red sheen, warning off predators, but when the light shines on them perpendicularly, they flush green and blue, a "remarkable example of photonic engineering by a living organism". This structural coloration is a defense mechanism, giving a warning signal to potential predators. The effect is produced by many hexagonal cylinders within the spines, which "perform much more efficiently than man-made optical fibres".[6]

Feeding

The sea mouse is an active predator[2] feeding primarily on small crabs, hermit crabs and other polychaete worms including Pectinaria and Lumbriconereis.[2] It has been observed consuming other polychaete worms over three times its own body length.[2] Feeding activity takes place at night, with the animal partially buried in sand.[2]

References

  1. ↑ WoRMS: Aphrodita aculeata Linnaeus, 1758
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tyler, Lizzie. "BIOTIC Species Information for Aphrodita aculeata". Biological Traits Information Catalogue. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Kennedy, Jennifer (1 October 2019). "Profile of the Sea Mouse Ocean Worm". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Warren, Rebecca; van Zyl, Miezan; O'Rourke, Ruth; Tokeley, Amber; Heilman, Christine, eds. (2006). "Ocean Life". Ocean: The World's Last Wilderness Revealed (first American ed.). New York City: DK Publishing. p. 276. ISBN 978-0-7566-2205-3.
  5. 1 2 "sea mouse". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Sea mouse promises bright future". BBC News. BBC. January 3, 2001. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
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