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.[2] The English name may derive from the resemblance to a bedraggled house mouse when washed up on shore.[3] 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).[4] Adults generally fall within a size range of Шаблон:Convert.
The spines, or setae,[4] 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".[5]
Feeding
The sea mouse is an active predator[1] feeding primarily on small crabs, hermit crabs and other polychaete worms including Pectinaria and Lumbriconereis.[1] It has been observed consuming other polychaete worms over three times its own body length.[1] Feeding activity takes place at night, with the animal partially buried in sand.[1]
