Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Evidently There is a Penis Fish

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Want to know if the Penis Fish on “Grey’s Anatomy” really exists?

Here is some information from your resident internet whore…the T.

‎The candirú or canero (Vandellia cirrhosa) or toothpick fish is a freshwater fish in the group commonly called the catfish. It is found in the Amazon River and has a reputation among the natives as the most feared fish in its waters, even over the piranha. The species has been known to grow to a size of 6 inches in length and is eel shaped and translucent, making it almost impossible to see in the water. The candirú is a parasite.

oh and there is more!

It is feared by the natives because it is attracted to urine or blood[2], and if the bather is nude it will swim into an orifice (the anus or vagina, or even the penis—and deep into the urethra). It then erects its spine and begins to feed on the blood and body tissue just as it would from the gills of a fish. The candirú is then almost impossible to remove except through surgery. The fish locates its host by following a water flow to its source and thus urinating while bathing increases the chance of a candirú homing in on a human urethra.

Wikapedia…thank you.

5 CommentsLeave a comment

  • So, an extra tidbit for you:
    I’ve heard of men swimming with condoms on in the Amazon to avoid the fish getting “lodged all up in it.” That’s the technical phrase, I do believe.
    I find it hard to imagine getting a condom on a softie and then swimming in cold water being actually feasible (shrinkage and all), but “the wear a condom while swimming in the Amazon” warning is why I remember the penis fish from reading it in a teen magazine 12 years ago (probably Sassy–thanks, Jane Pratt).