THE MOST DREADED FISH IN THE AMAZON RIVER

THE MOST DREADED FISH IN THE AMAZON RIVER

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The most dreaded fish in the Amazon River is not the notorious piranha with its razor-sharp teeth, capable of skeletonizing an unfortunate cow or human wading in the water. Nor is it the electric eel, which is quite able to electrocute a person, or one of the many fresh-water sharks which abound in the warm waters. Instead it is a fish far from ferocious looking and hardly as large as a man's little finger. It is known as the candiru or vampire fish.

The candiru or vampire fish, undoubtedly the most treacherous to be encountered in any of the waters of the world. It constitutes a very real hazard in many of the streams and rivers of South America in spite of the fact that it is only about the size of a short pencil stub. In appearance, the fish looks innocent enough, resembling very much salamanders common in local ponds. Their bodies are soft and devoid of any scales, but closer examination will reveal the presence of erectile, rear-pointing spines about the head. 

Vampire fish habitually live within the gill cavities of other much larger species such as the catfishes. Their very slender bodies make it possible for them to penetrate far up between the gill openings. It is here that they begin to do much of their damage. Sharp teeth and spines on their undersides are used to start a flow of blood which is rapidly sucked up, causing the tiny fish to swell to an enormous size. 

The species has a strange affinity for human and other animal urine, although this is not definitely known to be the only real reason for the destructive habits of the fish. Regardless of the reason, the candiru has a very unpleasant habit of entering the urogenital openings of persons wading ,or bathing in the rivers. They move far in and attach themselves to the tissue, piercing the skin and gorging themselves on the flowing blood. The spines on the head prevent the fish from being withdrawn once it starts its way inside. 

Tales of these unusual fish have come out of the Amazon region for over a hundred years. At first they were discredited as being fantastic, but later it was realized that the stories were true. The fear element, however, is great in all cases. Blood flow is usually so heavy that the victims become prostrate.

Unless surgery is performed immediately, the attack can prove fatal. Danger from infection is of course ever present.  After removal of the candiru from the water, it dies within a very short time. No expedition has succeeded in bringing the fish home for public display.