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Kotomora

鰓

gills, gill slits

Strokes20

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

Explore all words using 鰓 →

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.