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Trichomycteridae
= ( trick oh mick TARE id dee )
This South American family are commonly known as Parasitic
Cats or by the local indigenous populations as "candiru".
Stories abound on the notoriety of this family due to
their habit of lodging themselves in the gill cavities
of other larger fish and biting the gill filaments,
thereby feeding on the blood. There has also been instances
where they have entered the human urethra, probably
by mistake, of bathers and mammals urinating under water.
Not a lot is known of them as aquarium fish and only
experiences with them in a larger group could bring
further information to the catfish enthusiast. |