In a new study, biologists found thatVandellia are attached to the spiny catfish (Doras phlyzakion) not only for food. They bit the flesh of the fish, but its gills, and then did not drink the blood of the victim. The researchers found this strange. It turned out that in some cases, with the help of a bite, candiru attach themselves to spiny catfish in order to travel with the least expenditure of energy. Two such “vampire hitchhikers” can be attached to one catfish.
Vampire fish live in the waters of the river basinAmazons. To maintain life, they swim into the gills of larger fish and attach themselves to them, and then feed on the blood of the host. Despite its name, the common vandellia does not suck blood: after a bite, the blood flows out of the gills on its own. In 30-145 seconds, a catfish no more than 15 cm in length becomes saturated and leaves the host fish.
Doras phlyzakion with vampire fish (Paracanthopoma sp.), Courtesy:Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria(2021). DOI: 10.3897/aiep.51.64324
Vandellia became known throughout the world afterreports that they are attracted to human urine. Local residents are afraid of this fish because it is believed that it can swim into the anus, vagina or - in the case of small specimens - into the penis of a naked person all the way to the bladder. There it supposedly feeds on blood and surrounding tissue, which can cause severe pain. However, there is no reliable evidence of candiru getting stuck in the human urethra. It has also not been proven that these fish are attracted to human urine.
Read more
The development of AI has reached a critical point. Scientists are asking to take control of technology
Lithium-sulfur battery with sugar holds 5 times more energy
Watch the first private crew return from space to Earth