-50~60m, Owase, Mie Prefecture, Japan, 132.1mm., 2013/x.
The « Japanese Star » is an intriguing turbinid endemic to Japan where it is locally common and Korea where it is rarer. It is a grazing herbivore inhabiting rocky substrates in shallow water up to -50m deep. The shell height is quite variable in relation to shell diameter, meaning the shell form can vary from very flat to rather tall. The thick nacre layer of the shell was used in Japan to make buttons. Typical shell diameter around 120mm., very large specimens may reach 170mm.; in general the larger the specimen the shorter the spine becomes. Specimens with long and well-preserved spines are not easy to acquire.