Sea Mouse

I took this photo yesterday (22.12.2003) at Camp Cove in Sydney Harbour, I've been told it's a sea mouse but that's all I know! anyone got any interesting facts for me about it? I took a couple of shots of it then it turned and charged me! I'm very lucky to be here to tell you all about it!

I found an interesting link about about this Polychaete worm (thought it was an urchin when I saw it):

It's an Aphrodite species, and its spines have interesting light transmitting properties. It's supposed to be from deep water....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1099278.stm

Marli

Your creature is an Urchin! a species of Heart Urchin. An Echinoderm.

I don't know much about them but have seen them here in the UK a few times. They burrow under the sand/substrate so they are not visible most of the time.

Regards

PauP

Hi folks

right, it is not a sea mouse, but an irregular urchin, called "heart urchin", maybe Lovenia sp. from the family Loveniidae

there are 3 species of heart urchins in Edgar's book, p. 367-368, but no direct match with this one

you can also try Sea Urchins of Australia and the Indo-Pacific, 2002 by Ashley Miskelly (don't have this one yet)

sea mice (Aphrodite spp.) look quite different

ciao

Art