Vandellia cirrhosa • Trichomycteridae • Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Vandellia cirrhosa** Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1846
Common Name(s)	Candiru
Type Locality	Probably from America [= South America].
Synonym(s)	Plectrochilus erythrurus, Urinophilus erythrurus, Vandellia gigantea
Pronunciation	sir hoe sah
Etymology	Vandellia: Named after M Vandelli.
Species Information
Size	60mm (2.4") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Transparent to yellowish body, fleshy dorsal fin without strong spine.
General Remarks	The fish of this genus are the true vampire-style parasites of the otherwise ill-named parasitic catfish family. In nature they sense the passing of larger fish by the dissolved waste in the water streaming out of their gills. This attracts the parasite to the gill cavity where it feeds, dropping off to lie on the substrate when sated and visibily full to bursting with blood. Legends abound and surround this fish as it can mistake the urination of partially submerged mammals (including humans) for the exhalent gills of fishes and enter the urogenital openings of the very unfortunate mammal. A fascinating piece of trivia is that this fish is often referred to as the only vetebrate parasite of man.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Widespread in the amazon and orinoco basins. Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there) Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there) (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)
pH	6.0 - 7.0
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Despite recorded attempts to feed this fish chopped fish gills, blood (via a dropper) and conventional foods, it appears this fish is specialised to the point that it can only feed from live fish.
Furniture	Doesn't appear to like bright conditions, so floating plants should be offered. When not actively swimming around in search of its next victim, the fish will rest on the bottom, particularly after feeding.
Compatibility	For obvious reasons this fish should be kept alone; smaller fish are not ignored by this fish and can be killed outright by one parasitic visitation.
Suggested Tankmates	Food and other Vandellia.
Breeding	Unreported.
Further Information
References	Hist. Nat. Poiss.v. 18 - pp386 - Pl. 547
Registered Keepers	(1) Attu, (2) Brooklamprey. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.
Breeding Reports	None.
	Search Planet Catfish for more on Vandellia cirrhosa
	Look up Vandellia cirrhosa on AquaticRepublic.com
BBCode	(for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
	(for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
	Look up Vandellia cirrhosa on Fishbase
	Get or print a QR code for this species profile, or try our BETA label creator.
Hits	13128 hits.
Last Update	2005 Jul 03 00:00 (species record created: 2003 Jun 28 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Vandellia cirrhosa Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1846

Common Name(s)

Candiru

Type Locality

Probably from America [= South America].

Synonym(s)

Plectrochilus erythrurus, Urinophilus erythrurus, Vandellia gigantea

Pronunciation

sir hoe sah

Etymology

Vandellia: Named after M Vandelli.

Species Information

Size

60mm (2.4") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Transparent to yellowish body, fleshy dorsal fin without strong spine.

General Remarks

The fish of this genus are the true vampire-style parasites of the otherwise ill-named parasitic catfish family. In nature they sense the passing of larger fish by the dissolved waste in the water streaming out of their gills. This attracts the parasite to the gill cavity where it feeds, dropping off to lie on the substrate when sated and visibily full to bursting with blood. Legends abound and surround this fish as it can mistake the urination of partially submerged mammals (including humans) for the exhalent gills of fishes and enter the urogenital openings of the very unfortunate mammal.

A fascinating piece of trivia is that this fish is often referred to as the only vetebrate parasite of man.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Widespread in the amazon and orinoco basins.
Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there)

(Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

6.0 - 7.0

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Despite recorded attempts to feed this fish chopped fish gills, blood (via a dropper) and conventional foods, it appears this fish is specialised to the point that it can only feed from live fish.

Furniture

Doesn't appear to like bright conditions, so floating plants should be offered. When not actively swimming around in search of its next victim, the fish will rest on the bottom, particularly after feeding.

Compatibility

For obvious reasons this fish should be kept alone; smaller fish are not ignored by this fish and can be killed outright by one parasitic visitation.

Suggested Tankmates

Food and other Vandellia.

Breeding

Unreported.

Further Information

References

Hist. Nat. Poiss.v. 18 - pp386 - Pl. 547

Registered Keepers

(1) Attu, (2) Brooklamprey.

Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.

Breeding Reports

None.