Chisuibil - Chisuibil

It is an animal that belongs to the phylum Annelida, class Hirudin, order Gnathobiida, family Hirudinidae. It is widely distributed throughout Japan, living in freshwater wetlands. Its body length is 30 to 40 millimeters, and it is elongated and flat. It has several greenish-grey vertical stripes on its back. Its mouth is on the front sucker, and its jaws are well developed with many teeth lined up in a row. It uses these jaws to make wounds in the skin of other animals and suck their blood. Its saliva contains a substance called hirudin, which allows it to suck the blood of its opponent without clotting it. It is hermaphroditic, and after sucking the blood of a warm-blooded animal, it mates and lays eggs. The blood-sucking ability of this leech is used in treatment by having them attach to areas with blood congestion, so it is also known as the medical leech.

[Minoru Imajima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

環形動物門ヒル綱顎(あご)ビル目ヒルド科に属する動物。日本各地に広く分布し、淡水の湿地に生息する。体長は30～40ミリメートルで、細長く扁平(へんぺい)。背面に緑灰色の数条の縦縞(たてじま)がある。前方吸盤に口があり、あごがよく発達して多数の歯が1列に並ぶ。このあごでほかの動物の皮膚に傷をつけて吸血する。唾液(だえき)にはヒルジンという物質があり、相手の血を固めずに吸血することができる。雌雄同体で、温血動物の血を吸ったあとで交尾、産卵をする。このヒルの吸血性を利用して、うっ血した場所に吸い付かせる治療に用いるので医用ビルの別名がある。

［今島　実］

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