[wayne the pain]

Scientific name: Chaca chaca

Common names: Frog mouth catfish; Freshwater anglerfish

Synonyms: Playstacus chaca; Chaca lophioides

Etymology: Chaca is a local name for the fish, probably due to the sound it makes when taken from the water.

Order: Siluriformes

Class: Actinopterygii

Family: Chacidae

Size: 18 cm or 7.2"

Origin: Asia, India, Nepal, Bangledesh, Malaya, Indonesia

Minimum tank size: 30"x15"x15"

Pic submitted by wayne the pain.

Tank setup: Sand bottom is probably best for this species as they like to hide in it to ambush prey. Also tank lighting should not be too bright, floating plants will help to filter the light.

Temperament: Predator

Compatibility: Species tank or with fish large enough not to be considered prey.

Water type: Freshwater

Temperature: 22-24*C; 72-76*F

Hardness: dH range 4.0-25.0

PH: 6-8

Pic submitted by wayne the pain.

Sexual dimorphism: Males are a much larger and longer fish, females are typically shorter but with a much more robust body.

Breeding: these fish have been bred albeit rarely. A group of four fish were kept in a 36"x18"x18" bare bottomed tank with a 8"x3" pipe. The eggs were laid in the pipe and guarded by a single fish (probably male). All other fish were not in the pipe. The eggs hatched after three days. There seems to be no parental care, but also the adult's did not seem to predate on the young either. After ten days the fry were free swimming and the next day were fed on newly hatched brine shrimp and sifted daphnia. Nearly 400 fry were raised to the 1.5" mark steadily without much trouble.

Feeding: Newly imported specimens would probably be best on a few live fish to get their strength back. Earthworms and dead fish can be tried later.

Pic submitted by wayne the pain.

Other variants: Chaca bankanensis a much brighter orange colored fish.

Notes: Chaca chaca is not what you would call a very active fish, but its appearance more than makes up for its inactivity. A true sit and wait specialist, the chaca will sit for hours waiting for a unsuspecting fish to come along. With one massive gulp its prey is gone, sucked into its cavernous mouth. This is a real catfish fan's fish.

They are thought to be poisonous by the local people where it is collected from, although this hasn't been authenticated. They also seem to cause sudden drops in the pH of thewater they are kept in. It is not known if these pH drops are caused by the toxins the fish release but should be watched for, especially in smaller system's.

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