sand sifting starfish; comb star
A species of starfish (Astropecten polyacanthus) found in sandy bottoms.
The sand sifting starfish eats small organisms in the sand.
I saw a comb star at the aquarium.
Katakana spelling is common for this species name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
The name combines 棘 (toge, 'thorn'), 紅葉 (momiji, 'maple leaf'), and 貝 (kai, 'shellfish'), referring to the spiny, leaf-like appearance of the starfish.