鰓
gills, gill slits
Readings
On'yomi
- サイ
- シ
Kun'yomi
- えら
Meaning
鰓 centers on the respiratory organs of fish: the gills and gill slits that allow them to breathe underwater.
Most common words using 鰓
- 鰓えら
gills; branchia
- 前鰓類ぜんさいるい
prosobranchs
- 外鰓がいさい
external gill
- 弁鰓類べんさいるい
lamellibranches (i.e. bivalves)
- 後鰓類こうさいるい
opisthobranchs
- 板鰓類ばんさいるい
elasmobranchs
- 櫛鰓くしえら
ctenidium; comb gill
- 海鰓うみえら
sea pen (any coelenterate of the family Pennatulidae or related families); sea feather
- 異鰓類いさいるい
Heterobranchia; clade of snails and slugs
- 翼鰓類よくさいるい
pterobranchs (hemichordates of class Pterobranchia)
- 腸鰓類ちょうさいるい
enteropneusts (hemichordates of class Enteropneusta)
- 裸鰓類らさいるい
nudibranchs
- 鰓嚢さいのう
gill sac; branchial sac; branchial pouch; inner branchial groove; pharyngeal pouch
- 鰓孔えらあな
gill slit
- 鰓弁さいべん
gill lamella; branchial lamella; gill filament
- 鰓弓さいきゅう
branchial arch; gill arch
- 鰓板さいばん
gill plate; branchial plate; gill lamella; branchial lamella
- 鰓蓋えらぶた
gill cover; operculum
- 鰓裂さいれつ
gill slit
Study
Etymology
鰓 combines 魚 (fish) with 思, which likely contributes the sound. The character was created to specifically denote fish gills.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a fish 魚, and the right side 思 suggests thinking. Imagine a fish thinking about breathing, and you see its gills moving.
Reading mnemonic
For サイ, picture a sighing fish: sigh -> サイ, as the fish breathes through its gills.