Candiru Dolphin Catfish (Cetopsis candiru)

This large, bizarre looking parasitic catfish, the Candiru Dolphin Cat or Candiru açu is found throughout most of the Amazon basin, where it spends most of the day hiding among fallen logs and driftwood. At night, they are powerful, active swimmers, seeking out large fish and taking substantial bites with their highly specialized “cookie cutter” like mouths. They also feed on dead fish and mammals (including in some cases humans that had drowned), burrowing under skin and hollowing out the body. In the aquarium, they do best in a large tank with plenty of open swimming space and moderate to strong current.