TRIVIA

[Tim_MaA_MidB]

Post your interesting(?) but useless (probably) facts here....

For example:

In the waters of the Amazon basin lurks a nasty little fish called the Candiru that follows urine(ammonia) trails and lodges itself within the urethra. Please be advised that this fish is barbed and removal of the little fellow involves sharp objects and cutting! Amongst the locals this fish is more feared than the Piranha.

[Euterpe13]

There is a large sign at Customs in Kuala Lumpur airport which prohibits the import of piranha ( and it's in 5 languages...) .

Question : how would you get them on the plane in the first place, and why would you want to take them there anyway? Tourism ???

[cj]

In the waters of the Amazon basin lurks a nasty little fish called the Candiru that follows urine(ammonia) trails and lodges itself within the urethra. Please be advised that this fish is barbed and removal of the little fellow involves sharp objects and cutting! Amongst the locals this fish is more feared than the Piranha.

To quote Noel Coward, "Don't put your urethra in the river, Mrs Worthington ..."

[englishangel]

Post your interesting(?) but useless (probably) facts here....

For example:

In the waters of the Amazon basin lurks a nasty little fish called the Candiru that follows urine(ammonia) trails and lodges itself within the urethra. Please be advised that this fish is barbed and removal of the little fellow involves sharp objects and cutting! Amongst the locals this fish is more feared than the Piranha.

they had a bloke with this on 'Casualty' about 6 weeks ago.

He HAD got it in Brazil not Holby

[Tim_MaA_MidB]

I swam in the Rio Negro nearly every day when I was there, when you are living on it, that's what you do! I did see a couple of candiru attached to fish that were being gutted for supper... their normal modus operandii is to detect the ammonia given off by fishes' gills and parasitise them there...

I was reliably informed by an ex-pat of 20 years that incidents involving humans are very rare but it is very painful and you cannot urinate. I don't know how the person managed to wait until he got to the UK before having the fish removed.

I did not see that episode of Casualty, but in Brazil the fish is removed by inserting small scissors and snipping off the offending fins which hold the creature in place. There is no truth in the remour that you have to have your todger removed.

[Richard Ruck]

A simple solution, surely, would be to raise one's naughty bits above the surface of the river before passing water.

And do the local doctors offer a 'Fish in Tackle' service?






Sorry - coat, etc.

[marty]

"There is enough brick material in the Great Pyramid at Giza to build a wall 10 feet hight and 1 foot thick around the entire border of France" - let's make it happen...

[marty]

One of Adolf Hitler's school reports from his teacher remarked that Hitler was...'bad tempered and fancied himself as a leader.'

[marty]

The frontman of the band Chicago shot and killed himself in a game of Russian Roulette in 1978. His last words were, 'Don't worry, it's not loaded.'

[bap]

A simple solution, surely, would be to raise naughty above the surface of the river before passing water.
Rumours abound that the blighter can swim "up stream" as it were -ooh err

[DavebytheSea]

.

And do the local doctors offer a 'Fish in Tackle' service?


.

Perhaps a loo-er?
... or some flies?
possibly even, a new rod?

[eloisec]

One of Adolf Hitler's school reports from his teacher remarked that Hitler was...'bad tempered and fancied himself as a leader.'

Adolf Hitler was Time's Man of the Year for 1938

[eloisec]

A simple solution, surely, would be to raise one's naughty bits above the surface of the river before passing water.

apparently the cure is, I quote Wikipedia

A traditional option is the use of two plants, the Xagua plant (Genipa americana) and the Buitach apple which are inserted (or their extract in the case of tight spaces) into the affected area. These two plants together will kill and then dissolve the fish. More often, infection causes shock and death in the victim before the candirú can be removed.

It just seems to get more painful!

[Tim_MaA_MidB]

It is safest to simply avoid boxer style swimming trunks.

[Deb GP]

Adolf Hitler was Time's Man of the Year for 1938

I bet the Times are keeping that secret now.