ADW: v04_id167_con

Identification

Vandellia cirrhosa (candiru)

Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes and pencil catfishes)

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More information

Image of: Vandellia cirrhosa (candiru), Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes and pencil catfishes)

Caption

Candiru (Vandellia cirrhosa) are parasitic catfishes that feed on blood from the gill cavities of larger fishes (top illustration). They are known to enter the urethra of humans urinating in water, possibly mistaking exiting urine for gill exhaust (bottom illustration).

Contributors

Michigan Science Art external link (copyright holder)

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Citation: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed November 25, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.org.
Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. Report Error — Comment
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