tiger moon shell
A marine snail species, Natica tigrina. Used in biological contexts.
I found a tiger moon shell on the beach.
Katakana spelling is common for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in taxonomic or older literature.
The name likely derives from the spotted pattern resembling sesame seeds (胡麻) and the shell shape (玉貝). The exact derivation is uncertain.