Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Terrifying Toothpick Fish


Your cringe story of the day.


The vast freshwater ecosystem of the Amazon River is home to abundant animal life, and many of its species thrive by virtue of their ferocity. If one were to ask the locals which of the river's indigenous species is the most treacherous, a few might describe the roaming packs of carnivorous piranhas, or the massive anaconda snakes; but based on the general sentiment of the region, the most frequently uttered response would be "candirĂº."

The tiny hunter shadows its prey, almost invisible due to its translucent body and small size. When the target fish exhales, the candirĂº detects the resulting flow of water and makes a dash for the exposed gill cavity with remarkable speed. Within less than a second it penetrates the gill and wriggles its way into place, erecting an umbrella-like array of spines to secure its position.



Oh my golly.

1 comment:

Just Dave said...

I am scratching the Amazon off my summer vacation list.