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ホシダカラガイ (ほしだからがい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ホシダカラガイ

Meanings

1

noun

tiger cowrie; tiger cowry

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to the marine gastropod Cypraea tigris, known for its spotted shell. Used in biological and shell-collecting contexts.

ホシダカラガイはインド太たい平へい洋ようのサンゴ礁しょうに生せい息そくしている。
The tiger cowrie inhabits coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
彼かれの貝かい殻がらコレクションには大おおきなホシダカラガイが含ふくまれている。
His shell collection includes a large tiger cowrie.

Written forms

ホシダカラガイ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
星ほし宝だから貝がい
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in older or specialized texts; the katakana form is strongly preferred.

Kanji

星star, spot, dot
宝treasure, wealth, valuables
貝

shellfish

Etymology

Compound of 星 (hoshi, 'star') + 宝貝 (dakara-gai, 'cowrie'), referring to the star-like spots on the shell. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the name is descriptive.