What fish is this?

[DrownedDesertRat]

I've gotta join in the fun! What kind of fish is this? After a few guesses I'll give you the name and then you can do research on it.


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[tubeN2]

This could take some time to crack open. It does appear to be freshwater, just to start this thing off.[cool]
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[patches]

HAHA NOTHIN WE GOT ROUND HERE!AHAH LOOKS LIKE A GOLD MINNER. THAT,S ALL FOLKS! HAHA LATER[][]
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[daymere]

[/url][url "http://library.marist.edu/diglib/EnvSci/archives/fisherie/bouton/Fish%20Pages%20and%20Images/EasternSandDarter.html"][#0000ff]EASTERN SAND DARTER[/#0000ff][/url]



[url "http://library.marist.edu/diglib/EnvSci/archives/fisherie/bouton/Fish%20Pages%20and%20Images/EasternSandDarter.html"][/url][url "http://www.niwa.cri.nz/rc/freshwater/fishatlas/species/koaro.htm"][#606420][/#606420][/url]
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[DrownedDesertRat]

Nice guess but nope. TubeN2, you're right that it's a freshwater fish. It's a tropical fish that you'd hate to be attacked by.
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[BADFISH]

IS IT A YOUNG OFFSPRING OF THE FAMED TIGERFISH FROM AFRICA, ZAIRE, ZIMBABWE, AND SUCH AREAS. ROAMS OPENLY IN RIVERS AND LAKES ALL OVER THAT HEATED LANDMASS. THE TIGER FISH CAN GROW CANINES UP TO 7 INCHES IN LENGTH, AND ONCE MATURE HEAVILY PREDATE UPON LESSER FISH, OF COURSE THEY GROW TO GREAT SIZE AS WELL, EVEN BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE REPORTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN "HIT" WHILE WADING TRYING TO CATCH SMALLER FISH MORE EDIBLE TO HUMANS. SO THE AFRICAN TIGERFISH IS MY GUESS, ITS FRESHWATER, LOOKS LIKE A STRIPER WITH FANGS, LIKE WAKE UP IN A COLD SWEAT FROM THE NIGHTMARE OF THE FISH HOOKING YOU AND REELING YOU UNDERWATER AND GUTTING YA, FANGS THAT INSPIRE FEAR AND RESPECT FOR ALL WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WITNESS ONE OF THESE "BEASTS" BEING LANDED, OF COURSE ONCE YOU HAVE EM IN THE BOAT......WHO GETS TO HOLD IT FOR PICTURES? LOL

LATERS,
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[DrownedDesertRat]

Great guess BADFISH, but still not correct.

Another hint: It's in the catfish family.
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[southernman]

Be careful with this tiny fish.
In human openings it fits,
and stays there, stuck and devilish--
a happy life in fleshy pits.

And even dead, it makes you flee.
Its spines draw horror to our faces,
since they extend out carelessly
to hold the fish in tighter places.

A bath in jungle waters thrills,
but check with care the river's life
to never learn the way it feels
to be drilled by a serrated knife.

To piss, get out of river trails.
Don't mess the waters or you'll cry--
this fish hits your ass like a nail!
You'd prefer hot chile in your eyes...

Now cross your legs, I'm telling you,
if it comes at you from the front,
there's nothing surgeons can do,
but cut your "pleasure" in its joint.


[shocked]

sm
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[tubeN2]

Hey southernman, Is that a clue???
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[southernman]

its a poem and the answer

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[BADFISH]

is it a willow cat?? tiny lil fish.
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[BADFISH]

devil knife fish....devil fish...amazon stuff...has spikes in its fins and dorsal and all and it swims into animals and lodges in em. what the hell is it!!!
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[BADFISH]

IS IT A MADTOM CATFISH OR ONE OF THE STONE OR TADPOLE CATFISH FAMILIES. THEY HAVE POISON BARBLES AND CAN INFLICT STING WITH THE PEC FINS...
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[BADFISH]

[size 4]IT IS THE CANDIRU CATFISH FROM SOUTH AMERICA IT IS FABLED TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SWIM UP A STREAM OF HUMAN ORIGIN AND LODGE ITSELF IN ONES URETHRA. THIS IS THE ONLY PARASITE TO MAN WHICH IS A VERTIBRATE AND IT LOOOOVES TO SUCK BLOOD. IT IS TINY, MAX LENGTH IS 2.5 INCHES AND SKINNY...IT WILL SWIM UP YER BUM TOO APPARENTLY AND I DONT WANNA KNOW WHAT ELSE THIS THING WILL DO...[/size]

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[size 4]Order: Siluriformes

Family: Trichomycteridae

Genus & Species: Vandellia cirrhosa

APPEARANCE

The candiru, also called the carnero fish, is a tiny parasitic catfish that inhabits the waters of South America. They can reach lengths of 1-2.5 in (2.5-6 cm) with a width of 3.5 mm. Their diminutive size and nearly transparent body makes them very hard to locate (not that you would want to). The candiru has sharp bones with a series of spines located around the head used while feeding.

HABITAT

The candiru is found only in the Amazon and Oranoco Rivers of South America. They do not like the sun and tend to burry themselves in the mud and sand of the river bottom underneath logs and rocks.

FOOD

The candiru has a voracious appetite for blood and will parasitize fish, mammals, and humans. One scientist, while holding a candiru, accidently let it enter a small cut on his hand. It could be seen writhing under the skin towards the vein.

To find a fish, the candiru first tastes the water, trying to locate a water stream that is coming from the gills of a fish. Once such a stream is detected, the candiru follows the stream to its new host and inserts itself inside the gill flap. Spines around its head then pierce the scales of the fish and draws blood while anchoring the candiru in place. The candiru then feeds on the blood by using its mouth as a slurping apparatus and while rasping the long teeth on its top jaw.

When candirus parasitize humans, it is usually only when they are skinny-dipping while urinating in the water. The candiru tastes the urine stream and follows it back to the human. It then swims up the anus and lodges itself somewhere in the urinary tract with its spines. Blood is drawn, and the candiru gorges itself on both the blood and body tissue, its body sometimes expanding due to the amount of blood. This is all said to be very painful for the poor person who has this happen to him or her. Unfortunately, they are almost impossible to remove due to the spines. Amputation of the private areas is the cheapest, and most life-changing, way to remove the fish. Actual surgery is extremely expensive and involves inserting the Xagua plant and the Buitach apple up the urethra. These two plants kill and even dissolve the parasitic fish. If surgery is not done in time, the blockage of the urinary tract will prove fatal. The candiru is the only known vertebrate to parasitize humans.

ENEMIES

The candiru has few, if any, enemies at all, as they are feared throughout their geographic range and are given a worse reputation than the pirhana.

BREEDING

Little is known about their breeding habits, at least as far as I can tell.

RELATIVES

Candirus are a species of catfish and have six other species in their genus. A smaller Amazonian fish, dubbed the vampire fish, was recently discovered in the Araguaia River of the Amazon Basin. It too parasitized animals and is transparent and may be a close relative of the candiru.



LATERS,[/size]
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[DrownedDesertRat]

Southernman, you da man! I came across that poem while looking for a quality photo of the fish.

BadFish, I figured you'd come up with the correct answer eventually.

Now if we can just get the Moderator to send you two some sort of prize...... [][][][]
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[FisherMOM]

That IS a nasty little fish!
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[DrownedDesertRat]

Now you know why I said "it's a fish you'd hate to be attacked by", even as innocent looking as it is. Goes to prove that looks can be deceiving. Reminds me of a warning in the Bible that says Satan will come in the form of an angel of light with the hopes of deceiving even the elect.
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[BADFISH]

I think it would be cool to have a tank full of em then you could tie little ropes on em, and cast em out...then you wouldnt have to worry about hooks you could drag a fish in by the gills and they would follow with no problems....no fight, no thrashing, no spitting hooks, just a fish at your commmand....thanks to the candiru...lol..

I would hate to have it happen to me, but it would be very neat-o to see them in their natural habitat. can you tell I want to be an Icthyologist. I love fish. I love animals really...but fish are kewl as hell....there are some amazing animals out there but if you really want to be amazed....look to the angler fish, from finding nemo...when they go into the dark..."just keep swimming...just keep swimming" as Dory put it. or the wolf fish saltwater. or just check out some of the reef fish, batfish are cool, ratfish are neato..and there is one shark lives in the sea around japan...cant member the name but it is huge, they think unverified that it may get larger than the whale shark....thats over 40 feet..bigger than the great white...by far. the one they found could eat a great white in 2 bites...it was huuuuge. like 35 feet long and estimated it was young, this was a few years ago...I am rambling so ill stop...but if you want to be amazed look up some stuff on fish...any fish, pick a fish.

Laters,
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[tubeN2]

I think if I was to go swimming in thier habitat, I would definitely wear a few corks on my body.[crazy]
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[FisherMOM]

well tuben..... you'd float pretty darn good! []
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