noun
starfish; sea star
General term for any echinoderm of the class Asteroidea. In everyday Japanese, ヒトデ is the standard word.
海岸でヒトデを見つけた。
I found a starfish on the beach.
ヒトデは再生能力が高いことで知られている。
Starfish are known for their high regenerative ability.
noun
northern Pacific seastar
Specifically Asterias amurensis, a common species in northern Japan. Often used in biological or fishing contexts.
北海道では、ヒトデが漁業被害をもたらすことがある。
In Hokkaido, the northern Pacific seastar sometimes causes damage to fisheries.
Ateji spelling; can be confused with 人手 read ひとで meaning 'human hand' or 'help'.
Obscure kanji spelling; not recommended for learners.
Homophone meaning 'human hand' or 'help'; completely unrelated to starfish.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 海星 literally means 'sea star', a calque of the English term. The reading ひとで may be related to 人手 ('human hand') due to the shape, but this is speculative.