Least ConcernJabiru
Jabiru mycteria
Bony fish · Siluriformes · Trichomycteridae
Vandellia cirrhosa
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The candiru, also known as the vampire fish, is a freshwater fish of the order Siluriformes, belonging to the catfish family, that lives in the Amazon River. It is particularly famous and feared for the myth that it lodges itself in the genital or excretory openings of its victims to feed on their blood, something that has never been demonstrated. Individuals of up to 22 cm have been recorded, and it is elongated and transparent, which makes it practically undetectable under water. It is usually found in parts of the river with strong currents, although it can also be found in the lagoons left behind as the water drops in the river channel.
Size
4 cm – 17 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Vandellia cirrhosa · Lista Roja UICN 3.1 via ficha de especie de Vandellia cirrhosa · Animal Diversity Web, Vandellia cirrhosa · NCBI PMC8008855, importancia medica de los candirus en Brasil · FishBase, Vandellia cirrhosa · Animal Diversity Web · Ficha de especie del genero Vandellia · FishBase
Best time: It lives on the sandy bottom of rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, buried when inactive; it forages by day as well as by night
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 26.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Candiru — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about candiru.
