Are there sharks in the Amazon. Candiru is a terrifying fish. Treatment and consequences

The depths of the Amazon hide things that modern horror directors never dreamed of.

A huge closed ecosystem, which in fact is the entire pool great river, as if specially inhabited by incredibly tenacious, incredibly dangerous and incredibly bloodthirsty creatures, a meeting with which for a person can end in only one outcome.

black caiman

The largest predator in the entire Amazon basin. The black caiman grows up to five meters long and can weigh half a ton. Born killers are the so-called apex predators - that is, they are able to kill and devour any animal in general in their habitat.

Anaconda

The meeting of a man with an anaconda will be the last. The nine-meter snake swims perfectly and is even able to dive. An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature, except that it will converge on a narrow path with a black caiman, and such cases really happened.

brazilian arapaima

Tropical freshwater fish, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. This predator feeds not only on fish, but also on small animals that come to the watering place.

blunt shark

No, not because it's stupid - it's just the shape of their face. The blunt shark, or bull shark, is usually found in coastal waters and gladly sneaks into the rivers. This is one of the most aggressive types of sharks that attack humans without hesitation.

electric eel

Perhaps one of the strangest creatures on our planet. Special electric organs allow eels to generate voltage up to 1300 V. A sort of floating bare wire, with a positive charge on the muzzle and a negative charge in the tail. With one blow, an eel can stun a horse, but a human heart will simply stop forever.

brown pacu

It can be said that the cousin piranhas. But their teeth are square and resemble human teeth. For what? Yes, to tear off larger pieces of meat from the victim.

giant otter

A cute animal weighing thirty kilograms is not very timid, unlike its European relatives. You should not approach a giant otter for a joint selfie, you can be left without fingers. The locals called the otters "river wolves": straying into real flocks, they boldly attack larger predators.

Candiru

Another name is the Brazilian vampire. A tiny catfish usually parasitizes other fish, climbing into the gills and drinking blood there. But she absolutely does not care who will be the victim and in which hole to swim. Thanks to the candiru, smart people in the Amazon never relieve a small need. Guess why?

The Amazon rainforest has long been known as the most dangerous place, where a huge number of strange and wonderful creatures live, the meeting with which does not bode well. However, the threat lurks not only in the forest. The waters of the Amazon River are no less scary. Just look what monsters live there - you will think a million times before you go there!

black caiman

We can say that this is an alligator on steroids, their muscles are much larger, and they can grow up to six meters in length. These are undoubtedly the top predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat anyone who comes across their path.

Anaconda


Another giant monster of the Amazon is the well-known anaconda, the largest snake in the world. The weight of a female anaconda can reach 250 kilograms, and this is with a length of 9 meters and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow water, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

The huge arapaima predator is equipped with armored scales, so it fearlessly swims among piranhas, eating fish and birds. The length of these creepy fish is almost three meters, and weight - 90 kilograms. The ferocity of these creatures can be judged by their teeth, which are even on the tongue!

brazilian otter


Brazilian otters grow up to 2 meters in length and feed mainly on fish and crabs. However, the fact that they always hunt in large groups allows them to successfully get more serious prey: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they are called "river wolves".

Common vandellia or candiru


bull sharks

Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel just as great in fresh water. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far along the Amazon that they reached the city (), located almost 4 thousand kilometers from the sea. Considering that sharp teeth and powerful jaws provide these 3-meter creatures with a bite force of 589 kilograms, you definitely would not want to meet them, but they are not averse to feasting on a person!

electric eels


We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with a power of up to 600 volts. And this is 5 times the current in an American outlet and enough to easily knock a horse down. Repeated strikes by these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, causing people to lose consciousness and simply drown in the water.

common piranha

It is difficult to imagine more terrible and ferocious creatures, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have repeatedly inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that piranhas are primarily scavengers. But, unfortunately, this does not mean at all that they do not attack healthy creatures. Their incredibly sharp teeth, located on the upper and lower jaws, close very tightly, which makes them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel hydrolic


These meter-long underwater inhabitants were also called vampire fish. On the lower jaw they have two sharp fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices to literally impale the victim on them after they rush at it. The fangs of these fish are so large that nature had to take care of the safety of the hydrolics themselves. So that they do not pierce themselves with them, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

brown pacu

A fish with human teeth, the brown pacu is a larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater prefer fruits and nuts, although they are generally considered omnivores. The problem is that "stupid" pacu are unable to tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitalia, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.

1. Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
It is very unlikely that you will catch this specimen of fish, but there is always a chance. Arapaima, also known as pirakuchu or paixe, is a huge carnivorous fish that can be found in the Amazon River and its surrounding lakes. Fortunately, this prehistoric giant fish prefers to prey on other fish and birds rather than humans, and is such an efficient predator that it can even live in piranha-infested waters. They usually stay close to the surface of the water because they need to take in extra oxygen through their gills. Arapaima can reach two and a half meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms and are the largest in the world freshwater fish.

2. Tambaki (Colossoma macropomum)
Also known as paku, tambaki are the seeds and fruits that this fish feeds on. A member of the piranha family, the species can reach up to one meter in length and weigh up to 45 kilograms. It is probably considered the most valuable fish in the region. The fish often feed on the seeds of the rubber tree and are commonly found in the waters near Manaus in Brazil.

4. Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Possibly the Amazon's most famous and most dangerous sea creature, the pot-bellied piranha has been depicted everywhere as one of the most dangerous fish in the popular Amazon River, this is actually not the case. The fish are mainly scavengers that can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. In Hollywood movies, they are shown to eat their prey to the bone in minutes, in fact, this is quite a rare occurrence and usually only happens when a school of fish is starving for a very long time.

5. Armored catfish
Characterized by bony plates covering their skin. Armored catfish, a member of the loricarid family, usually have a ventral suctermute with papillae on the lips that allow them to feed and breathe. The armored catfish is also known as "Plek", various varieties of armored catfish can be found in the Amazon region. The fish can eat wood, but they cannot digest it and excrete undigested pieces of wood as waste.

6. Electric eel ( Electrophorus electricus)
Despite the name, the electric eel is not actually an eel, it is a fish. Electric eel can reach about two and a half meters in length and weigh about 22-23 kilograms. adults electric eel beat with a discharge that can reach 650 volts. This is quite enough to cause very severe damage to a person in the water up to instant death. Usually lives at a depth, in dirty ground. After his death, the eel can contain a strong electrical discharge for another 8 hours. In this connection, the locals living on the shores of the Amazon always try to avoid this type of fish.

7. Pancake stingrays
Fish literally resembling pancakes. This species was discovered in 2012 in Rio Nanai near Iquitos, Peru. Freshwater stingrays are known to grow up to about 450 kilograms and have over 40 various kinds many of which are constantly found in the Amazon River.

8. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
Traditionally sea ​​fish, otherwise called Bull Shark, has adapted to freshwater and is most often found in Brazil due to its proximity to the ocean. These smart creatures have developed special osmoregulatory buds that allow them to change the salinity of the water where they live. Their kidneys basically process the vital salts they need throughout their body, allowing them to constantly move to freshwater areas.

9. Payara Vampire Fish (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
Payara or vampire fish can be found in most areas of the Amazon in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Known for being an extremely aggressive type of fish (and looking like a vampire!). Vampire fish are most commonly found in fast moving water and rapids, which tends to make them harder to spot. Fierce predators can eat fish half their own body size, which is usually about one meter long and weighs about 18 kilograms. Its striking feature is its two front fangs.

10. Peacock bass or Tucunar Peacock Bass (Cichla Temensis)
Tucunar Peacock Bass is native to the Rio Negro, Watuma, and Orinocoin basins of northern South America. This particular type of bass is also known as: Spotted Pavon, Spotted Peacock, or Painted Pavon. This is a very large South American cichlid and a very valuable fish. Reaches almost 1 meter in length and weighs more than 12 kg. Peacock basses are most often found in rapids and in still waters of medium depth. They only eat small fish, especially filamentous shad, mosquitoes, tilapia and blue fungus.

The Amazon Basin is not without reason considered one of the most dangerous places in the world, home to a huge number of predators. I invite you to find out what is found in the waters of the Amazon, and why this place is considered so life-threatening.

black caiman

We can say that this is an alligator on steroids, their muscles are much larger, and they can grow up to six meters in length. These are undoubtedly the top predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat anyone who comes across their path.

Anaconda

2

Another giant monster of the Amazon is the well-known anaconda, the largest snake in the world. The weight of a female anaconda can reach 250 kilograms, and this is with a length of 9 meters and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow water, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

3

The huge arapaima predator is equipped with armored scales, so it fearlessly swims among piranhas, eating fish and birds. The length of these terrible fish is almost three meters, and the weight is 90 kilograms.

brazilian otter

4

Brazilian otters grow up to 2 meters in length and feed mainly on fish and crabs. However, the fact that they always hunt in large groups allows them to successfully get more serious prey: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they are called "river wolves".

common vandellia or candiru

5

bull shark

6

Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel just as great in fresh water. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far along the Amazon that they reached the city of Iquitos (Peru), located almost 4 thousand kilometers from the sea. Considering that sharp teeth and powerful jaws provide these 3-meter creatures with a bite force of 589 kilograms, you definitely would not want to meet them, but they are not averse to feasting on a person!

electric eels

7

We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with a voltage of up to 600 volts. And this is 5 times the current in an American outlet and enough to easily knock a horse down. Repeated strikes by these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, causing people to lose consciousness and simply drown in the water.

common piranha

8

It is difficult to imagine more terrible and ferocious creatures, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have repeatedly inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that piranhas are primarily scavengers. But, unfortunately, this does not mean at all that they do not attack healthy creatures. Their incredibly sharp teeth, located on the upper and lower jaws, close very tightly, which makes them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel hydrolic

9

These meter-long underwater inhabitants were also called vampire fish. On the lower jaw they have two sharp fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices to literally impale the victim on them after they rush at it. The fangs of these fish are so large that nature had to take care of the safety of the hydrolics themselves. So that they do not pierce themselves with them, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

brown pacu

10

A fish with human teeth, the brown pacu is a larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater prefer fruits and nuts, although they are generally considered omnivores. The problem is that "stupid" pacu are unable to tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitalia, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.

Amazon is the most big river on planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to a huge number of different animals. There are both small and beautiful birds, and deadly snakes, wild cats. Some animals are dangerous to humans, but get along well with each other. We present you the ten most common and terrifying animals of the Amazon.

Jaguar


The largest cat that lives on the banks of the Amazon. The diet of the jaguar includes all kinds of land inhabitants of the jungle, ranging from small mice to deer. The weight of jaguars on average fluctuates around 90-100 kilograms, but there are individuals that grow up to 120 kilograms. For humans, jaguars do not pose a direct threat, because they do not attack people of their own free will, only for the purpose of self-defense.

piranhas


Piranhas have become the main characters of horror films many times. But the truth is that they originally feed on carrion. However, this fact does not exclude that they cannot attack other animals. Each piranha can be 30 centimeters in size. Their weapons are straight teeth, on both jaws, which can close completely, enabling them to tear off pieces of flesh. Piranhas live in large groups, therefore they are a great danger to most animals.
Many different snakes can be found in the Amazon forests, but the South American rattlesnake- one of the most dangerous snakes for humans. Her bite can easily end in death if you do not help the victim in time. The snake lives in the Amazon jungle far from the river itself. Feeds on small mammals, rodents and amphibians. Statistically, one tenth snake bites V South America belongs to these snakes.

Spotted dart frog


A frog belonging to the genus of poison dart frogs. Inhabits the deciduous trees of the Amazon. The appearance of the frog is as impressive as its poison. Although the frog itself is very small, only 5 centimeters long, its poison is enough to kill 10 adult men. It feeds on all kinds of insects. Even having a motley appearance, the poison dart frog is not afraid of predators and does not need to be disguised, because the motley appearance speaks of danger, and those who do not believe will have to taste deadly poison.

electric eel


Creatures prefer muddy bottoms. Their length is within 2-3 meters, sometimes slightly exceeding this figure. The mass of an eel can be more than 40 kilograms. Eels prefer to feed on small birds, fish, small mammals and amphibians. Eels hunt using special organs that generate a discharge of electricity, making a blow with enough power to kill or stun prey. For a person, eel does not represent mortal danger, because the power of its discharge is not enough to kill a person, but it can lead to a heart attack or loss of consciousness.

bull shark


Even being inhabitants of salty ocean waters, sharks can feel great in fresh water. Therefore, there are times when the formidable predators of the ocean swim into the waters of the Amazon. It happened that sharks were met near settlements along the Amazon, and this is a considerable 4000 kilometers from the ocean. Due to the special structure of the kidneys, sharks quickly adapt to the salt balance in the water. "Bulls" are often over 3 meters long, body weight can exceed 300 kilograms. The bite force of such a monster is 589 kilograms. Sharks eat everything, they also do not disdain human flesh, it is this type of shark that most often devours people. Due to the fact that sharks are very dangerous and live near densely populated areas, they are considered the most dangerous among all sharks in the world.

Anaconda


Anaconda is the largest snake on Earth. Although there are species of pythons that overtake the anaconda in length, but its weight is much greater than that of longer snakes. An anaconda can have a mass of over 200 kilograms, reach a length of up to 9 meters, and the body of a snake in diameter reaches 30 centimeters. Anaconda is able to catch a caiman or a jaguar, but at the same time risks becoming a dinner itself. Often her diet consists of capybaras and deer. The anaconda prefers to hunt in shallow water, where it can easily sneak up on its prey without being noticed.

black caiman


Black caimans are the largest predators in the Amazon River. In length, caimans can grow over five meters. As masters of the waters of the Amazon, caimans feed on absolutely everything that comes into their mouths: monkeys, big fish, anacondas, jaguars, carrion - everything that a huge reptile can swallow. For people, caimans are also very dangerous, they willingly attack onlookers, so when swimming along the river, you need to be on the alert. Once caimans were on the verge of extinction, but the law prohibiting hunting for them has increased the number of inhabitants of the river.

Arapaima


Arapaima - huge predatory fish living in the waters of the Amazon. The scales of the fish are very durable and serve as an excellent protection for it. Therefore, no piranhas are afraid of arapaime. The diet of fish includes mainly fish and sometimes birds. An underwater predator often swims near the surface of the water, because the oxygen received through the gills is not enough for them, and they take breaths, floating to the surface of the water. The average length of the fish is about 2 meters, but sometimes it reaches 3. The maximum weight that has been recorded is 200 kilograms. It also poses a danger to people. There was a case when a fish attacked two fishermen, as a result of which they died.

brazilian otter


The Brazilian otter is the largest freshwater otter of the mustelid family and the genus of giant otters. They eat most often fish and crustaceans that inhabit the waters of the Amazon. Otters grow up to 2 meters in length (from the muzzle to the tip of the tail). Hunting takes place in communities of up to eight representatives. Many consider otters to be very cute and harmless, but this is far from the truth. Otters are able to catch an anaconda in a flock and tear it to pieces, there have been cases of reprisals against caimans, the dead otters are immediately eaten. Although the number of Brazilian otters is declining, due to poachers in particular, they are considered one of the strongest predators of the Amazon.