▁or ▁may ▁derive ▁from ▁the ▁supposed ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁a ▁bed rag g led ▁mouse ▁when ▁was hed ▁up ▁on ▁shore . ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁sea ▁mouse ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁a ▁dense ▁mat ▁of ▁par ap odia ▁and ▁set ae ▁( h air like ▁structures ). ▁Ad ult s ▁generally ▁fall ▁within ▁a ▁size ▁range ▁of ▁, ▁but ▁some ▁grow ▁to ▁. ▁The ▁sea ▁mouse ▁have ▁two ▁pairs ▁of ▁feel er - like ▁append ages ▁close ▁to ▁their ▁mouth ▁and ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁eyes . ▁Lo com otion ▁is ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁several ▁small , ▁br ist ly , ▁p addle - like ▁append ages . ▁They ▁are ▁herm aph rod it ic ▁which ▁means ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁functional ▁re product ive ▁org ans ▁of ▁both ▁sex es . ▁The ▁eggs ▁of ▁one ▁individual ▁are ▁fert il ised ▁by ▁the ▁s perm ▁of ▁another . ▁ ▁Struct ural ▁color ation ▁ ▁The ▁sp ines , ▁or ▁set ae , ▁on ▁the ▁scale d ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁sea ▁mouse ▁are ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁unique ▁features . ▁Norm ally , ▁these ▁have ▁a ▁deep ▁red ▁she en , ▁warning ▁off ▁pred ators , ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁light ▁sh ines ▁on ▁them ▁per pend icular ly , ▁they ▁flush ▁green ▁and ▁blue , ▁a ▁" remark able ▁example ▁of ▁phot onic ▁engineering ▁by ▁a ▁living ▁organ ism ". ▁This ▁struct ural ▁color ation ▁is ▁a ▁defense ▁mechanism , ▁giving ▁a ▁warning ▁signal ▁to ▁potential ▁pred ators . ▁The ▁effect ▁is ▁produced