Swimming upstream

Have you ever felt you are going against the tide? Everyone is just doing something and you, for one reason or another, are doing something completely different and you are starting to feel aware of it..

Anyway, this is why i named this post “swimming upstream”.

I was watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy and saw snapshots of a urological extraction of a type of fish found in the Amazon. It is called Candiru.

‎Candiru or candirú (also canero or toothpick fish) refers to parasitic freshwater catfish of a number of genera in the family Trichomycteridae. They are found in the Amazon River and have a reputation among the natives as the most feared fish in its waters, even over the piranha (source: Axelrod, Herbert R.; Emmens, C.; Burgess, W.;Pronek, N. (1996). Exotic Tropical Fishes. T.F.H.)

this pelvic XR shows clearly what is lodged.i don’t think its real. can the skeleton of the fish be that radio-opaque?

Chief Webber gets the parasitic fish out. 

Well apparently this fish locates its human targets when people urinate near the fish. (mental note to reader and self: don’t EVER pee in the Amazon).

A well-circulated myth is that the candiru is capable of swimming up the stream of urine in mid-air to a victim standing on shore or a boat. This is physically impossible as the maximum swimming velocity of the fish is insufficient to oppose the downward velocity of the urine stream, and the further impossible act of the 5–14 mm wide fish maintaining position and thrust within a 2–7 mm wide column of fluid.

They are also probably not attracted to pure urine. However they are capable of jumping and entering the urethra of a man standing thigh-deep in the water and urinating. They are also probably only able to enter a human urethra when it is expanded during urination.(Source: Wiki)

So there you go, myth busted.

 

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