Candiru, also known as cañero, toothpick fish, or vampire fish, is a species of parasitic freshwater catfish in the family Trichomycteridae native to the Amazon basin where it is found in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Trichomycteridae is a family of catfishes commonly known as pencil catfishes or parasitic catfishes. This family includes the candiru fish, feared by some people for its alleged habit of entering into the urethra of humans. They are one of the few parasitic chordates. Another species is the life monsefuano which was important to the Moche culture and still an important part of Peruvian cuisine.
The Aspredinidae are a small South American family of catfishes also known as the banjo catfishes, with about 43 species.
Malapterurus is a genus of catfishes of the electric catfish family (Malapteruridae). It includes 18 species.
Sorubim is a small genus of long-whiskered catfish native to tropical South America. A number of characteristics allows the differentiation of each species in the genus. Sorubim species are important food fish in South America and are highly significant to fisheries of some areas; however, harvests of these fish are not identified as much as other, more popular food fishes such as Colossoma, Arapaima, and Brachyplatystoma. Some species of this family are popular aquarium fish.
Brachyplatystoma is a genus of catfish from the family Pimelodidae. As the occasionally used common name goliath catfishes indicates, this genus includes some of the largest species of catfish, including the piraíba, B. filamentosum, which reaches up to the region of 3.6 metres (12 ft) in length. Brachyplatystoma are found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, and other tropical freshwater and brackish habitats in South America. Some species are migratory. These fish are important as food fish and, to some extent, aquarium fish.
Batrochoglanis is a small genus of catfishes of the family Pseudopimelodidae.
Leiarius is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America. Most of the genus' species are found in the aquarium hobby as ornamental fish.
Hypophthalmus is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to freshwater in tropical and subtropical South America.
Paracanthopoma parva is a species of catfishes of the family Trichomycteridae. P. parva grows to about 2.7 centimetres (1.1 in) SL and is endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Amazon and Essequibo River basins.
Tridensimilis is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Paravandellia is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Pseudostegophilus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to rivers in tropical South America. The members of this genus are obligate parasites that feed on scales and mucus of other fish.
Schultzichthys is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Stegophilus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Parakysis is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes six species.
Pygidianops is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America.
Ochmacanthus is a genus of pencil catfishes native to South America. These species are distributed in South America. O. alternus and O. orinoco originate from the Rio Negro and Orinoco River basins of Brazil and Venezuela. O. batrachstoma inhabits the Paraguay River basin in Brazil. O. flabelliferus lives in river drainages in Guyana and Venezuela. O. reinhardtii is known from the Amazon River basin in Brazil and drainages in French Guiana.
Acanthobunocephalus nicoi is one of two species of catfish in the genus Acanthobunocephalus of the family Aspredinidae. This species is known from only three localities and appears to be restricted to the upper Orinoco River system of Venezuela and possibly the upper Rio Negro system of Brazil.
Cetopsis candiru, also known as candiru, candiru açú, candiru cobra or canero, is a carnivorous species of whale catfish found in the Amazon basin of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. Similar to Cetopsis coecutiens, Cetopsis candiru is a large species of the genus Cetopsis and a widespread scavenger, known for its voracious feeding and the habit of burrowing into the carcasses of dead animals and humans. Despite its name, it is not closely related to the bloodsucking Candiru.
