What can the candiru do to you?

To the extreme agony of the unlucky person, the Candiru swims up… into their genitals. Spines on its head make it very difficult to extract. Amputation is sometimes the only course of action that can be taken. According to legend, that's what the Candiru is capable of.

How does candiru affect the body?

While the candiru's reputation as the “penis fish” is likely based on myths, some tiny organisms can indeed travel up the urethra. This usually results in either a urinary tract infection (UTI) or sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Why can't you pee in the Amazon River?

There are many troubling stories from the region regarding human run-ins with the candirú. It is not uncommon for people swimming or bathing in the river to urinate while in the water, an action which creates tiny water currents that are rich in urea and ammonia, much like an exhaling fish.

Can candiru swim up urine?

First of all, Candiru detects the gills of fish by sight more than by scent. And the physics of fluid dynamics make it impossible for them to swim up a stream of urine! Also, the amputations noted in some areas were more likely from Piranha bites.

How big is a candiru?

By any definition however, the Candiru is a very slender, translucent fish, growing to about 15 cm in length that is only found in the Amazon River.

Removing A Candiru From Man's Penis | HORROR STORY | River Monsters

Is there a fish that can swim up your urethra?

Candiru is a tiny Amazonian parasitic catfish reported to swim into urethral and other body openings of unprotected bathers. It is also known as canero, camero, and urethra fish, and is a member of the genus Vandellia.

Can things swim up your pee stream?

First thing's first, according to all known laws and rules of fluid dynamics, swimming directly up a stream of human urine is impossible.

Is there such thing as a vampire fish?

On the freshwater side, the vampire fish is a nickname for the payara, an abundant gamefish found in the Amazon Basin. While this large, 1.5-to-3 foot fish does not suck the blood of its prey, its six-inch-long fangs, which protrude from an undershot jaw, result in a face only a (payara) mother could love.

Can you get a parasite from peeing in a lake?

They live in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and canals and can infect anyone who comes into contact with contaminated water. Once a person is infected, the parasites then pass out eggs in their urine or faeces (stools), which can survive in water for up to seven days. Schistosomiasis is a disease associated with poverty.

What is the scariest fish in the world?

Is payara illegal?

Before you pull out that old goldfish bowl, however, there are a few things that you should know: There might be restrictions about payara ownership where you live. For example, payaras are classified as an “invasive, prohibited, and exotic species” in Texas, so it's illegal to bring them into the state.

What is an lamprey?

lamprey, any of about 43 species of primitive fishlike jawless vertebrates placed with hagfishes in the class Agnatha. Lampreys belong to the family Petromyzonidae. They live in coastal and fresh waters and are found in temperate regions around the world, except Africa.

What does the toothpick fish do?

These smaller species are known for an alleged tendency to invade and parasitise the human urethra; 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 ...

What happens if you pee in a lake?

As far as human health is concerned, while urine is usually sterile, it can carry bacterial infections, such as leptospirosis, which causes flu-like symptoms and can also lead to meningitis.

What eats the candiru fish?

Although there are no reports of candiru predators, it is very likely that larger carnivorous fish may feed on them.

How do fish pee?

A lot of fish get rid of the pee through an tiny opening, called a pore, that's near their rear ends—and in some fish, waste also goes out through the skin or the gills. When a fish pees in a coral reef, the corals wave their tentacles around like tiny arms to grab nutrients from the pee and absorb them.

Do lamprey bites hurt?

Sea lampreys can latch onto humans, especially while swimming. Though they are not strong enough to kill a human, the bite can be quite painful. The bite can also cause other life-threatening infections.

How do you get a lamprey off you?

If a lamprey does attach to a human, it can be removed by raising it out of the water, which will cause it to suffocate.

Is lamprey edible?

Adult lampreys attach themselves to host fish with their sucker-like mouths. On the other hand, these gruesome-looking creatures are very edible, Rudstam said. “They have a different taste, like squid. The French eat them with delight.

How big do payara get?

It typically reaches a standard length of about 30 cm (1.0 ft), but can reach up to 51 cm (1.7 ft). There are reports of far larger individuals, up to 1.17 m (3.8 ft) in total length and 17.8 kg (39 lb) in weight, based on records by IGFA, but this likely involves confusion with the related H. armatus.

What do you feed payara?

Payara are carnivorous piscivores. They only eat live foods, and they love fish, preferably live ones. Appropriate aquarium fare includes live foods such as feeder fish, earthworms, and river shrimps.

Do people eat payara?

Since payara are more often sold as juveniles, common silversides work extremely well as a staple food fish due to their smaller size. Of course, as the payara grow, their food will have to increase in size and quantity, too.

Is there a dragon fish?

dragonfish, also called sea moth, any of about five species of small marine fishes comprising the family Pegasidae and the order Pegasiformes. Dragonfish are found in warm Indo-Pacific waters. They are small (to about 16 centimetres [6 ¹/₂ inches] long), elongated fish encased in bony rings of armour.

Are sea monsters real?

Mythic Kraken

Hundreds of years ago, European sailors told of a sea monster called the kraken that could toss ships into the air with its many long arms. Today we know sea monsters aren't real--but a living sea animal, the giant squid, has 10 arms and can grow longer than a school bus.