Spines and Coloration
Further information: Structural colorationThe spines, or setae, that emerge from the scaled back of the sea mouse are one of its unique features. Normally, these have a red sheen, warning off predators, but when the light shines on them perpendicularly, they flush green and blue, a "remarkable example of photonic engineering by a living organism". These colors are believed to be a defense mechanism, giving warning to potential predators. The effect is produced by many hexagonal cylinders within the spines, which "perform much more efficiently than man-made optical fibres".
Read more about this topic: Sea Mouse
Famous quotes containing the word coloration:
“This great kindness pervades Chekhov’s literary work, but it is not a matter of program or of literary message with him, but simply the natural coloration of his talent.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)