The candiru fish
Candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa, also known ascañero, toothpick fish, or vampire fish, is a species of parasitic freshwater catfish in the familyTrichomycteridae native to the Amazon Basin where it is found in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil,Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The definition of candiru differs between authors. The word has been used to refer to onlyVandellia cirrhosa, the entire genus Vandellia, Although some candiru species have been known to grow to a size of 40 centimetres (16 in) in length, others are considerably smaller. 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,[5] 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.
The definition of candiru differs between authors. The word has been used to refer to onlyVandellia cirrhosa, the entire genus Vandellia, Although some candiru species have been known to grow to a size of 40 centimetres (16 in) in length, others are considerably smaller. 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,[5] 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.