Candiru: Life and Legend of the Bloodsucking Catfishes [Paperback]

Stephen Spotte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

Of the many legends to emerge from the vast Amazon basin of South America, none is stranger than the story of the candiru.

This sinuous little catfish is said to force its way into the urogenital openings of unsuspecting bathers, causing excrutiating pain and even death. Stephen Spotte spent four years investigating the biology of these near-mythical creatures and the reports of their attacks on humans, starting with accounts of early European explorers. His tale is an intricate, compelling mosaic of science and lore. Are the legends true? Read "Candiru" and find out.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The assurance with which [Spotte] handles the basic elements of his craft is unequivocal..." -- Hillary Johnson, LA Weekly

About the Author

STEPHEN SPOTTE is a marine biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. He was formerly a research scientist at the University of Connecticut. He has a PH.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: Creative Arts Book Company; First edition. edition (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887394698
• ISBN-13: 978-0887394690
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,119,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Field Guides > Fish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just a bloodsucking fish..., September 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Candiru: Life and Legend of the Bloodsucking Catfishes (Paperback)

Spotte's idiosyncratic book is a compendium of everything written or believed about a thin catfish purported to enter the human urethra, vagina or anus when one urinates in certain South American streams. He found, translated or had translated, and excerpted all scientific, journalistic or hearsay accounts of such attacks. As a scientist and writer Spotte writes a book which is a mix of scientific journalism, experimental science (Are the fish attracted to urine? Let's see what experiment will answer that question), fiction and philosphy. He visits the urologist who claims to have surgically remove a candiru from an unfortunate man's penis. He survived (the victim and the urologist too). Copious endnotes verify that he's not making this up. Are others? He had collected notes for 40 years and made several trips to South America to track down and do the research. As a fiction author he finishes with a hilarious final chapter (which could serve as a stand-alone short story) about a theme park. Some of the science is not easy going for non-biologists, but the lighthearted prose keeps us going to the amusing narrative parts. Read this book, not out of prurient interest, but for serious introspection about the nature of reporting, scientific experiment, zoos and aquaria, and rain forest urban legends.