The Pira-nu, “black fish”, is born in old timber canoes lost in the rapids. This Argentinian fish is of great size, with a horse-like head and big eyes. It swims at the surface of the water to capsize canoes, and it quickly devours humans and livestock that have fallen into the water.
References
Ambrosetti, J. B. (1917) Supersticiones y Leyendas. La Cultura Argentina, Buenos Aires.
A Book of Creatures 
I fear no man but that thing….it scares me
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Um… It’s really well drawn, though those soulless red eyes shall haunt me forever.
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My job here is done
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I dig the art on this one. Good work.
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Those teeth are everything I fear about horses
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I wonder where the horse-head is from? Were there horses in South- America pre-Spanish Conquistadors; I know the North’s were brought over from Europe. Or is this monster a recent invention?
Addendum: I acquired Otia Imperialia; which Book mentions the Tarrasque?
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I’m assuming it was a post-conquistadors thing. As for Otia Imperialia, III.85 I believe.
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It was probably like this:
“Its has a head like those things you ride”
“our horses?”
“Yeah”
“so its a horse”
“No, it has a fish’s body”
“So its a seahorse?”
“No its bigger and tries to kill you.”
“Oh my gosh you just described my aunt”
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Love the shading. Well-done shading does anything extra menacing.
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Aaa thank you!
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So, I’m guessing “pira” means fish?
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Yup
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