# And you were worried about the candirú! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 6, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530 "2001-07-06T23:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/1 "2001-07-06T23:15:18Z")
Re this column: [Can the candirú fish swim upstream into your urethra?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000519.html) Check out the claim here: [http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/2001/07/06/FFX6HAXEROC.html](http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/2001/07/06/FFX6HAXEROC.html) > [@](#): > > Two die in fish dismemberment > > PORT MORESBY > Friday 6 July 2001 > > Two Papua New Guinea fishermen have bled to death after having their penises bitten off by pirahna-like river fish. > > The fish, which zero in on urine streams in the water, have struck terror among villagers along the Sepik River, in north-western PNG. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/2 "2001-07-07T02:01:01Z")
Oog. Sometimes I really enjoy being a girl, you know? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/3 "2001-07-08T01:19:46Z")
I find the news report to be highly doubtful. They report that the fish were “piranha-like” and followed a urine stream. If there were indeed some fish that had been imported from South America, similar to a piranha, and having the ability to follow a urine stream, (or even to aggresively follow a changing chemical trail), why hasn’t this been reported in South America? My WAG is an exaggerated report, or a very poorly researched one. I am curious that the news story reported that “the fish demonstrated a trait of the piranha by following a trail of urine in the water.” Is this truly a trait of the piranha? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/4 "2001-07-08T13:18:49Z")
The news report quoted did not say piranha fish follow urine streams in water. It said the fish were “piranha-like” (presumably intended to identify them either as looking like piranha or acting like piranha, namely, many fish attacking with sharp teeth). It also said the fish follow urine streams in water. It did not link those two traits in an attempt to assert piranha did that type of tracking. Which doesn’t make the report any more likely to be true… ---
**Author:** ![PressureMedic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PressureMedic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PressureMedic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/5 "2001-07-09T09:31:02Z")
The original question regarded a fish which might swim up the urethra, Then the article refers to fish which bit off the willy. Yes, there is a naughty fish which swims up the urethra. It is about two inches long, and hones in on -mr. wiggles- when it detects a stream of urine. So it finds its new home, swims in, and pops up its spike-like dorsal fin, just to make sure no one can pull it out too easily. This fish, if I recall, is found mainly in ?rivers? in South America. Read about it in a great book called “the ocean almanac”. The moral of the story, I suppose, is that when someone borrows your wetsuit, he ought to !!!sincerely mean it!!! when he agrees not to pee in it. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/6 "2001-07-09T14:47:02Z")
PressureMedic - aren’t you referring to the “candirú” (aka “carnero”) discussed by Cecil Adams in the first article mentioned in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/7 "2001-07-09T14:58:31Z")
**DSYoungEsq** , we must have different ways of interpreting the article. When I read this sentence in the second article linked to by **zgystardst** : «_the fish demonstrated a trait of the piranha by following a trail of urine in the water, swimming to its source and then biting it off with razor-sharp teeth._» I interpret that to mean that the author is implying that piranha do indeed follow urine trails. ---
**Author:** ![PressureMedic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PressureMedic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PressureMedic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/8 "2001-07-09T19:57:12Z")
oh arnold, you are right, this is due to MY mis-read. i thought ziggy was illustrating the first subject by referring to the second. sheesh. In the words of Emily Litella…“nevermind”. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-you-were-worried-about-the-candiru/71530/9 "2001-07-09T23:00:04Z")
I did some searching. [http://www.denverzoo.org/animalsplants/fish/pacu/pacu.htm](http://www.denverzoo.org/animalsplants/fish/pacu/pacu.htm) > [@](#): > > Pacu > Colossoma macropomum > > This peaceful fish looks like a piranha when young, which protects it from predators, but as it grows the large brown spots disappear from its silver body and red-tinged anal fin. It can crush nuts with its blunt teeth, and helps disperse seeds through the rain forest. Hmmm, it can crush nuts with its teeth. 😉 [http://www.pompano.net/~sevi/fish/pacu.htm](http://www.pompano.net/~sevi/fish/pacu.htm) > [@](#): > > Pacus: > Colossoma bidens > > The Pacu is a relative of the Piranha but get much larger than their fearsome relatives. Coloration is silvery with a red chest and anal fin. When young, there are several irregular darker spots on the sides. They have well developed lips, conceling impressive looking teeth. Fear not, however, this isn’t a bloodthirsty carnivore - the large teeth are used to crush shells, seeds and fruits that may fall into the water. Although it looks like a Piranha when young, as a Pacu matures, it turns darker, sometimes becoming almost black. Pacus can be aggressive, but are not unreasonably so-- at least when compared to some Cichlids or Largemouth Bass. [snip] > > Pacus are omnivores, and in an aquarium will eat just about anything, from flakes and pellets to feeder fish and dinner table leftovers. They should be fed a variety of foods. This suggests that a Pacu _might_ attack. Aggressive, omnivorous. [http://forests.org/archive/png/bitestsn.htm](http://forests.org/archive/png/bitestsn.htm) > [@](#): > > Biologist tests new fish species > > Copyright 2001 The National (PNG) > March 8, 2001 > > AN aqua biologist based in Madang has suggested that pacu, a fish from Brazil, should be introduced into PNG waters. > > Ian Middleton, one of the two aqua biologists in the country, said about 40 pacus were flown in from Brazil recently, and they are now being studied at his research centre at Dylup. So this article places some Pacu in Papau New Guinea due to a scientist experimenting to check if they can fit the habitat. Ergo, pacu are present and available to attack. However, I can find no links referencing piranha using urine to track prey. If you want fun, try a google search on “pirahna urine” [sic] and read the list of bizarre discussions.