Candiru: Life and Legend of the Bloodsucking Catfishes

Rating:
Summary: More than just a bloodsucking fish...
Review: 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.