noun
lingulate brachiopod; Lingula anatina
A marine brachiopod with a shell resembling a shamisen plectrum; often used in biology contexts.
シャミセンガイは生きた化石と呼ばれることがある。
The lingulate brachiopod is sometimes called a living fossil.
Katakana spelling is common for this organism name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
From 三味線 (shamisen) + 貝 (shellfish), named for the resemblance of its shell to a shamisen plectrum.