Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 5194803
Aphrodita aculeata
aphrodita aculeataAlso known as Sea Mouse, Common Sea Mouse
Sea mice are remarkable marine worms that resemble sodden, furry rodents when washed up on beaches. Under water, their dense mat of hair-like bristles transforms into a brilliant iridescent display of gold, red, and blue, which serves to warn off predators. They spend their lives crawling slowly over or tunneling head-first into muddy sea floors, hunting for other soft-bodied invertebrates.
MarineDeep SeaBenthic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Polychaete worms
- Hermit crabs
- Small mollusks
Predators
- Cod
- Flounder
- Demersal fish
ThreatsBottom trawling, habitat disturbance, and marine pollution.
HabitatsSandy or muddy sea floors from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths.
Life spanTypically 2 to 3 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPhyllodocida
- FamilyAphroditidae
- GenusAphrodita
- Speciesaphrodita aculeata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance; handle gently to avoid pricks from the stiff defensive bristles.
Responsible observation
- Look in tide pools: Search sandy or muddy pools after low tide, especially after heavy winter storms.
- Observe the iridescence: Shine a light from different angles to see the bristles shimmer from gold to deep blue.
- Handle with care: If found washed up, gently return them to wet sand or water without squeezing the stiff lateral spines.
Competitor (c) Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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