3 days Ago
A rarely seen sea creature has been spotted crawling its way along a Sussex beach. Conservationists captured footage of the mysterious creature in a nature reserve, showing it moving slowly along the sands after high tide. While some might think it looks like something out of a sci-fi film, the marine creature was identified as a Sea Mouse – a type of worm which can usually be found on the seabed.
After spotting the creature in Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, conservationists from Sussex Wildlife Trust returned the creature back to the sea. Speaking about the rarely seen creature, Rye Harbour events office Sarah Watson said: "This furry creature is a Sea Mouse, a chunky marine worm. “About 15cm long and rarely seen, but in winter, storms can wash them up on the high tide line.
This one was found at Rye Harbour nature reserve and put back in the sea. Look closely among its duller bristles to see a shimmering, iridescent fringe. Read More: Nature lovers stumble upon foul-smelling alien-like growth in woodland “The video is sped up to be three times faster than real life after the first five seconds.
Clever engineering aside, sea mice are rather slow!" The Sea Mouse on Rye Harbour Beach (Image: Barry Yates | Sussex Wildlife Trust) Dubbed Aphrodita Aculeata in Latin, Sea Mice can range in length from around 7cm to 15cm and can grow as large as 30cm. Sea Mice are common on UK coasts and are described as “unlike anything else in the sea” and are active predators, feeding on small crabs and other worms on the seabed. The Sea Mouse’s bristles mean that it shimmers blue, green and gold.
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