As promised to your class, here is some info I was supposed to investigate.
1. Candiru (English and Portuguese) or candirú (Spanish), also known as canero or toothpick fish, are a number of genera of parasitic freshwater catfish in the family Trichomycteridae; all are native to the Amazon River. Although some candiru species have been known to grow to a size of 6 inches (~15 cm) in length, others are considerably smaller. These smaller species are known for an alleged tendency to invade and parasitize the human urethra; however, despite ethnological reports dating back to the late 19th century [1], the first documented case of a candiru parasitizing a human did not occur until 1997.
Although lurid anecdotes of attacks of humans abound, there is only one documented case of a candiru attack on a human.[8] Nonetheless, there was a case in which the victim claimed that the fish jumped while he was urinating thigh deep.[9] They are also probably not attracted to pure urine.[4] It is believed that they are able to enter a human urethra only when it is expanded during urination.[9] A traditional treatment for those affected involves the use of two plants, the jagua or jenipapo plant (Genipa americana) and the Buitach apple which are inserted (or their extract in the case of tight spaces) into the affected area. It is thought that these two plants together will kill and then dislodge the fish.[10] Surgery to the affected region is the medical standard of care for those who have been attacked.[
2. A hectare is common measure of land area used in Latin America. 1 hectare = 2.47 acres; for comparative purposes, an American football field (including the end zones) = 1.32 acres. An American football field (including the end zones) is 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide or 360 x 160 feet. So, an American football field is a bit larger than a hectare, but it should provide something to visualize.
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