(c) Nelson Wisnik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nelson Wisnik · cc-by-nc
candiru
Sign in to saveAlso known as vampire fish, cañero, toothpick fish, Vandellia cirrhosa
species of fish
Species
Candiru-Açu
Species
- PhylumChordata
- ClassTeleostei
- OrderSiluriformes
- FamilyTrichomycteridae
卷鬚寄生鯰，又名牙籤魚，又稱藍色吸血鬼，為輻鰭魚綱鯰形目毛鼻鯰科的其中一種，為熱帶淡水魚，分布於南美洲亞馬遜河流域，本魚棲息在沙底質底層水域，體長可達17公分，屬寄生性，會進入大型魚類的鰓蓋中吸血，有時會誤入哺乳動物的尿道中，造成創傷。
via
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Vandellia cirrhosa after a full meal of blood.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- taxon name
- Vandellia cirrhosa
- Commons category
- Vandellia cirrhosa
- Commons gallery
- Vandellia cirrhosa
- taxon common name
- Candiru
- short name
- V. cirrhosa
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~8 min read
Article
Vandellia cirrhosa, known by the common names candiru, cañero, toothpick fish, or vampire fish, is a species of parasitic freshwater catfish in the family Trichomycteridae native to the Amazon basin where it is found in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The name "candiru" is also used to refer to other catfish species, including the entire genus Vandellia.
This species is known for an alleged tendency to invade and parasitize the human urethra and other bodily openings; however, despite ethnological reports dating back to the late 19th century, the first documented case of the removal of a candiru from a human urethra did not occur until 1997, and even that incident has remained a matter of controversy. Scientifically, this fish only parasitizes larger fish which it shares its habitat with; it consumes their host's blood from their gill openings, thus the candiru is a hematophagic species.