Chaca
chaca (Hamilton, 1822) |
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| Image
contributors to this species: |
| Allan
James (1)
Klauss
Dreyman (1)
Chris Ralph (4) Steven
Grant
(3) |
| ScotCat
Sources: |
  
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| Other
Sources: |
 
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| Relevant
Information: |
Chaca
bankenensis seems to be a little bit darker in colouration than
Chaca chaca and has one less pectoral ray, 1/4 to 1/5 of
C.chaca. You can differentiate the difference between Chaca
burmensis and Chaca chaca by the number and the size
of the cirri along the inner edge of the lower lip, C.chaca
has 14+ and tends to be relatively longer and/or thicker. Chaca
burmensis usually numbers around 10 or 11 small cirri, and
they don’t tend to have them near the corners of the
mouth. Inhabits rivers, beels, canals and ponds and prefers soft
substrates where it lies concealed in the soft mire of the river
bed. It depends upon this concealment for protection and will not
even move when it is touched lightly. Lies quietly on the bottom
until some prey comes along. Apparently a worm-like appendix at
the fringe of the mouth is used to attract prey. Fairly common in
catches, but is not eaten perhaps due to its ugly appearance. Aquarium
Care: This catfish does not do a lot apart from sitting
very still buried in the substrate waiting for its next meal and
then engulfing its prey by opening its very large mouth and basically
creates a strong vacuum, whereas the unlucky victim is drawn in
to the gaping hole!. It is a very hardy aquarium fish that will
do very well on a sand/leaf substrate where it can bury itself with
just its head showing and also a landscape of rocks and caves. It
is not your average community tank fish so I would choose my tankmates
carefully for fear of them getting eaten as they will consume fish
half their size. Probably any species of the African Synodontis
would do fine and for the upper layers you would do better with
larger shoaling fish such as Congo tetras, or larger barbs i.e.
Tinfoil Barbs. This would pre-empt a larger tank to house the larger
barbs or characins. If you can make the space, a better idea would
be a species tank with 3 to 4 individuals, as they seem to coincide
peacefully with one another. Diet: A feeding of
earthworms and other meaty foods such as feeder fish like young
Tilapia sp. They are said also to take tablet food when
fully acclimatized. |
| Common
Name: |
Indian
frog-mouth catfish |
| Synonyms: |
Platystacus
chaca |
| Family: |
Chacidae
ycipitidae |
| Distribution: |
Asia:
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaya and Indonesia. Reported from Myanmar
|
| Size:
|
19cm. (7½ins) |
| Temp: |
22-24°c
(71-75°f ) |
| p.H. |
6.5-8.0. |
| References: |
Grant; Steven,
Article no. 90, www.scotcat.com, The
Chaca's
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009.FishBase.
World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version
(12/2010).
ScotCat Factsheet no. 77. Nov.2002. |
|
Family:
Chacidae
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| Click
on thumbnails |
Chaca
chaca
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 Chaca
chaca
Showing the large mouth and the
hooklets (cirri) on the bottom lip.
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 Chaca
chaca
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 Chaca
chaca
Close up of head
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 Chaca
chaca
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 Chaca
chaca
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 Chaca
chaca
Showing the posterior nostril with no barbel attached
to it
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 Chaca
chaca
Showingg cirri on lower lip
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 Chaca
chaca
Dorsal View
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