They had such weird descriptions, I finally got curious enough to research
WHY they had such strange names.
So why is the outer skeleton of a sea urchin called a *test*?
Apparently it’s because the term derives from the Latin word “*testa*,”
meaning “rounded bowl or bottle,” which describes the shape of the sea
urchin’s shell-like structure.
Okay, guess that makes sense. But what about a sea urchin’s mouth? Why on
earth is it called an *Aristotle’s Lantern???*
Turns out that is also rooted in ancient history. As in, good old Aristotle
himself described the sea urchin’s mouth thusly:
“t*he mouth-apparatus of the urchin is continuous from one end to the
other, but to outward appearance it is not so, but looks like a horn
lantern with the panes of horn left out*.”
So ever since Aristotle described the sea urchin’s mouth like this, it has
been referred to as Aristotle’s lantern.
So now we know, and knowing is half the battle. 😂
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