Like blackberry swirl

A mystery close-up for you.  Can you tell what type of organism this is?

 

The next image shows the entire animal:

 

 

Bat Star (Patiria miniata), photographed in Pacific Grove, CA.  In the first photo, the little bumpy curved purple and cream-colored pieces are spines.  Aren't they intriguing?

We were impressed with the diversity of Bat Star color morphs we saw this afternoon — red, orange, gray, brown, in various mottled combinations.