Any candiru in the house?

[Aeonflame]

Just wondering if anyone here has kept candiru before. I'm sure you all know this is the fish that burrows into the gills of other fish and feeds on their blood. It's also the fish that has a reputation of swimming into human urethras.

[HomaridNoob6]

I've seen them once at a large auction/show a long time back, think they were just their for curiosity sake, not even for sale. I don't think they get imported often due to the fact that they aren't all that interesting looking or colorful, they obviously aren't community fish, and fear due to their burrowing legends.

You never know though, someone here on the AC might have them.

[Red]

I want one, never seen any for sale though.

[Aeonflame]

I'm wondering how you would feed it. Maybe feeder goldfish? Seems kinda cruel though.

[HomaridNoob6]

It would be fine with bits of fresh meat im sure, prolly be pretty messy tho, and wasteful.

[Aeonflame]

It would be fine with bits of fresh meat im sure, prolly be pretty messy tho, and wasteful.

I believe they feed on blood, which means they would need a live host to trigger the feeding response

[HomaridNoob6]

I saw one of those nature shows on them, cant remember if it was Discovery or NGC they were catching em with dead fish and hunks of meat, I think they'd just have to be hungry enough.

[toddnbecka]

There are different species of catfish called candiru (common name along the Amazon apparently), and also more than one species of parasitic bloodsucking catfish. I would imagine you could get one or another species of candiru if you hooked up with the right importer.

[XsquaredequalsX]

Note to self: Stay on Aeonflame's good side!!!

[Kaz]

Just wondering if anyone here has kept candiru before. I'm sure you all know this is the fish that burrows into the gills of other fish and feeds on their blood. It's also the fish that has a reputation of swimming into human urethras.

Oh god the candiru, one of the key players in my ongoing debate about whether australia or South america is scarier. (Africa is like the child caught in the middle of the debate, except in this case that small child is capable of ripping you to shreds in under 5 seconds.)

(I should also note that that candiru has only had one reported incident of it attacking somebody, however give the fact that its method of attacking involves swimming into fish gills and using spines to peirce the flesh and latch itself firmly in where it proceeds to feast on the blood of its prey and given where it is supposed to attak, one incident is enough)

[rangur1]

the small candiru is a blood sucking little parasitic fish. the candiru azu is a voracious scavenger. i find it very difficult to believe these are not banned for exportation. i can't see anyone wanting to keep these particular b******ds, but some admire their predatory nature,which is cool i guess.
however, these fish pose a severe risk to non native ecosystems , and should not be allowed out of the amazon.

[Aeonflame]

I live in Trinidad, and the only place they could escape to would be brackish swamps, where they couldnt survive.

[Red]

Candiru are banned from flordia and california.

[toddnbecka]

I ran across this while looking for something else, if not a candiru at least closely related: http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fw&1252791005

[bushwhacker]

another note to self.. never skinny dip in a candiru tank

[Demjor19]

I know a guy in MI that keeps/studies them. Very interesting fish! kinda scary too!

[Northernguy]

I am really quite thrilled that are banned from entering North America.
There is always some moron that will release into native water.