starry night octopus
A species of octopus (Octopus luteus) known for its rough, shark-skin-like texture and long arms. The name is usually written in katakana.
The starry night octopus has a rough body surface like shark skin, as its name suggests.
I found a starry night octopus in the sea off Okinawa.
Standard katakana spelling for this species name.
Kanji spelling is rare and mostly seen in taxonomic or specialized contexts; the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 鮫肌 (samehada, 'shark skin'), 手長 (tenaga, 'long-armed'), and 蛸 (tako, 'octopus'), describing its rough skin and long arms.