windowpane oyster
A species of oyster (Placuna placenta) known for its translucent shell, historically used as window glass in parts of Asia.
The shell of the windowpane oyster is thin and lets light through, so it was used for windows in the past.
Standard kanji spelling for this shellfish.
Katakana spelling, common in biological contexts or when emphasizing the species name.
Compound of 窓 (mado, 'window') + 貝 (kai, 'shellfish'), referring to the traditional use of its translucent shell as a window pane.