クモヒトデ

Meanings

brittle star; brittlestar

usually written using kana alone

General term for any member of the echinoderm order Ophiuroidea, resembling starfish with long, flexible arms.

Ophioplocus japonicus

Specific species of brittle star found in Japanese waters; scientific name Ophioplocus japonicus.

ヒトデ
ヒトデ is a starfish (class Asteroidea), while クモヒトデ is a brittle star (class Ophiuroidea), a related but distinct group with thinner, more flexible arms.

クモヒトデUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this organism; usually written in kana.
くもひとで
Hiragana spelling, also common.
蜘蛛海星くもひとで
Kanji spelling using 蜘蛛 (spider) and 海星 (starfish); rarely used.
蜘蛛くも人ひと手で
Alternate kanji spelling with 人手 (human hand); very rare.

Compound of 蜘蛛 (くも, spider) and 人手 (ひとで, starfish, literally 'human hand'), referring to the spider-like appearance of the long, slender arms.