Necklace Starfish

Toward the end of my novel, the narrator receives an unexpected present from his father in the form of a hand-carved and hand-painted Necklace Starfish.

So what does a real Necklace Starfish look like?

Something like this! 

(Photo taken by Richard Ling, Creative Commons Licensed through Flickr.)

The Necklace Starfish, also known as the Peppermint Starfish because of it’s coloration, and officially known by its scientific name Fromia monilis, are found in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. Like other sea stars, the Necklace Starfish can regrow a limb and it is only found in brackish, marine habitats.