The weird little critter called the sea mouse (Aphrodita aculeata) has iridescent spines that are changing nanotechnology. It seems that nanowire can be made by passing the metal through spines from dead sea mice, making nonowire cheaper, and longer than heretofore possible. And how cool are these spines?
The iridescent threads or setae that emerge from its scaled back are one of its unique features. Normally, these setae have a red sheen, warning off predators, but when the light shines on them perpendicularly, they flush green and blue. The setae are made of millions of submicroscopic crystals that reflect and filter the faint light of the ocean depths.They go around looking like neon lights in the undersea mud. Burrowing into the mud is how they find their food. They eat other sea worms. Watching them burrow is pretty cool, too.
Check out this nice video of the Sea Mouse burrowing:
The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss
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