noun
basket star; basket fish
Refers to brittlestars of the family Euryalina, known for their branched arms. A technical term in marine biology; in everyday contexts, usually written in katakana.
See also: 蜘蛛海星
深海でテヅルモヅルを見つけた。
We found a basket star in the deep sea.
テヅルモヅルはクモヒトデの仲間だ。
Basket stars are relatives of brittle stars.
Brittle star in general; テヅルモヅル specifically refers to the basket star subgroup with branched arms.
The name likely derives from the appearance of the arms resembling tangled vines or cords (手蔓藻蔓 literally 'hand vine water plant vine'). The exact origin is uncertain.