feather star; comatulid
General term for feather stars (order Comatulida), marine animals with feathery arms.
Feather stars spread their feathery arms on the sea floor.
Comanthus japonica
Specific species of feather star found in Japanese waters.
This aquarium exhibits Comanthus japonica, a species of feather star.
Usually written in katakana; the kanji form 海羊歯 is rare.
Rare kanji spelling; the word is normally written in kana.
Compound of 海 (umi, 'sea') and 羊歯 (shida, 'fern'), referring to the fern-like appearance of the animal. The exact derivation is uncertain.