Candirú
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Vandellia cirrhosa
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V. balzanii |
The candiru or canero (Vandellia cirrhosa) or toothpick fish is a freshwater fish in the group commonly called the catfish. It is found in the Amazon River and has a reputation among the natives as the most feared fish in its waters, even over the piranha. The species has been known to grow to a size of 6 inches in length and is eel shaped and translucent, making it almost impossible to see in the water. The candiru is a parasite. It swims into the gill cavities of other fish, erects a spine to hold itself in place, and feeds on the blood in the gills, earning it a nickname as the "vampire fish of Brazil".
It is feared by the natives because it is attracted to urine or blood, and if the bather is nude it will swim into an orifice (the anus or vagina, or even in the case of smaller specimens the penis—and deep into the urethra). It then erects its spine and begins to feed on the blood and body tissue just as it would from the gills of a fish. The candiru is then almost impossible to remove except through an operation. As the fish locates its host by following the water flow from the gills to its source, urinating while bathing increases the chance of a candiru honing in on a human urethra.
A traditional cure involves the use of two plants, the Xagua plant (Genipa americana) and the Buitach apple which are inserted (or their extract in the case of tight spaces) into the affected area. These two plants together will kill and then dissolve the fish. More often, infection causes shock and death in the victim before the candirú can be removed. There have been documented candirú attacks on humans, there is no evidence the fish can survive once inside a human.
[edit] Cultural references
The author William Burroughs encountered stories about the candiru during his travels in South America, and referenced the creature in his book Naked Lunch. Candice Millard's The River of Doubt also presents rumors of attacks heard on Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon trip. The fish is also mentioned in several movies, such as Sniper, Gunmen, Anaconda, and The Rundown. Novelist Julian Barnes mentions the fish in his book A History of the World in 10½ Chapters, and Chuck Palahniuk references the candiru in Fight Club.
References were also made in a season one episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, A Single Life; the animated show The Venture Bros., where the trapped heroes are threatened with the "dreaded candirú" (which Dr. Venture refers to as a "total myth") in the episode "Are You There God? It's Me, Dean"; and during an episode of the British medical drama Casualty, aired on January 28, 2006, when a patient is found to have such a fish inside him which apparently entered via his penis during a recent visit to the Amazon.
Several references to the candirú are also made in Douglas Preston's adventure fiction novel, The Codex (2004) and it is mentioned in the thriller Amazonia (2002) by James Rollins.
The mathcore band Candiria (plural) is named after the fish.
Singer-songwriter George Hrab wrote a song called Cruel Spines about the candirú that can be found on his album Vitriol.
There has been a confirmed removal of a Candiru from a man that survived an attack by the fish. Upon removal the fish was measured to be 134mm (5 1/2 inches) in length. The fish jumped out of the water to enter his urethra following the trail of urine. The article appeared in "Straight Dope."
[edit] Resources
- Herman, John B, "Candiru: Urinophilic catfish—Its gift to urology", Urology 1(3):265-267 (1973).
- Gudger, EW, "Bookshelf browsing on the Alleged Penetration of the Human Urethra by an Amazonian Catfish Called Candiru", American Journal of Surgery 8(1): 170-188, 443-457 (1930).
- Spotte, Steven (2002). Candiru: Life and Legend of the Bloodsucking Catfishes. Creative Arts Book Company. ISBN 0887394698
- Vinton, KW, Stickler, WH, "The Carnero, a fish parasite of man and possibly animals", American Journal of Surgery 54:511- (1941).
- Redmond O'Hanlon (1989) In Trouble Again: A Journey Between the Orinoco and the Amazon Penguin Books Ltd ISBN 0140119000
