Mysterious ‘alien-like' sea creature that can devour prey 3 TIMES its size is found on UK beach
"Sea mice" are marine worms with a furry appearance that are unlike anything else in the sea and can grow up to six inches long.
1
'Sea mice' are active predators but are often washed ashore
A dog walker found one of the strange critters recently on a beach in Wales.
They are active predators, hunting small crabs and other worms on the
It comes after beachgoers were urged not to pick up cone snails' shells as their venom can cause instant paralysis or even death.
While they are not typically harmful to humans, "sea mice", which get their scientific name from
Simon Parker recently discovered one of the creatures on a Welsh beach prompting discussion on social media due to its curious appearance.
Compared by many to a fossil and even an "alien", the sighting has left many admitting that they had never seen anything quite like it.
Simon was left flabbergasted after discovering one of
the six-inch long creatures at Pensarn Beach,
Conwy, and turned to tech to determine exactly what it was.
Uncertain of its identity and intrigued by its green-flashing fringe he used Google Lens to determine it was a sea mouse.
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"I found it at the water's edge just after low tide," he told Wales Online.
"Unfortunately it didn't appear to be alive. The sea mouse was approximately five or six inches long with brightly coloured bristles down the sides."
Sea mice are not a rare species but their sightings are infrequent, often being washed ashore during stormy weather or left behind by exceptionally low tides.
Another of them was located in March on Oxwich beach in Swansea.
Mum shares urgent warning for summer beach trips with kids as pal's left in hospital following massive allergic reaction
The Wildlife Trusts say the sea mouse is "unlike anything else in the sea".
Despite its potential to reach 20cm in length and 6cm in width this intriguing find is in fact a type of
Although it has a tendency to bury itself head-first in the sand this creature boasts a remarkable set of skills.
Its spines typically have a deep red sheen, serving as a warning to potential predators.
However when exposed to light, they flash blue, green, and gold, giving the worm a dazzling, iridescent appearance.
This phenomenon, known as pseudo-birefringence, is the only known example of "photonic engineering" in nature, says the WT.
The spines process light with nearly 100% efficiency – a necessity in the dimly-lit depths of the sea.
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Some researchers believe that this unique ability could lead to the development of new communication technologies.
Beauty and the beast
While this creature is technically a marine worm, it is believed that the name "sea mouse" originated from its resemblance to a bedraggled mouse when washed up on shore.
Its Latin name, Aphrodita aculeata, is equally peculiar. While aculeata translates to "spiny" the genus name Aphrodita refers to the ancient Greek Goddess of Love – allegedly due to the worm's resemblance to female genitalia.
The sea mouse is an active predator that feeds on small crabs and other worms and is capable of consuming prey over three times its own body length. Every now and then they can be seen wriggling across the sand – a sight that invariably unnerves beachgoers.
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The Irish Sun
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Irish Independent
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'Some for science, some for exploration, some for entertainment, and some for a different holiday.' Unsurprisingly, Tim reckons that we'd all be better off if we'd taken a trip to space. He says it gives you a different view of the world – and not just literally. WHO IS TIM PEAKE? Here's what you need to know... Major Tim Peake is a British Army officer and astronaut He is the first British astronaut with the European Space Agency He's also the sixth Brit to go aboard the International Space Agency Peake was born in Chichester, West Sussex in 1972 In 1990 he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst In 1992, he joined the Army Air Corps Then two years later Peake became a qualified helicopter pilot Peake left the army in 2009 to follow his dream of becoming an astronaut He beat more than 9,000 applicants for one of six spots on the ESA's astronaut training programme He had to endure a rigorous selection process that tested his intellect and fitness Peake was launched to the ISS on December 15, 2015 In April the next year, he ran the 2016 London Marathon from the ISS treadmill And in June 2016, he finally returned to Earth, landing in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz descent module During his time in space, Peake completed roughly 3,000 orbits of Earth Picture Credit: Getty Images 'I think it is amazing. The more people that can witness Earth from space – Earth would be a better place. Definitely,' Tim said. 'People would have perhaps have a different perspective when they're making decisions. 'Having kind of seen how we all share one planet. And it looks fairly remote and isolated from space.' So your Moon vacation in 2065 won't just be a relaxing break, but an upgrade for your mind too. 9 Space tourism could be big business – Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has already shown off concepts for an Orbital Reef space station that could host holidaymakers Credit: Blur Origin 9 Travellers could pay large sums of money to enjoy off-Earth hols Credit: AFP EARTH, VIA SPACE Of course, space tourism isn't the only way rockets will help your holidays . Tim reckons it'll make moving around Earth easier too. Holidays to the Moon will involve blasting off from Earth and landing on the rocky satellite. 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