chaca chaca

The bizarrely shaped Chaca Chaca or Indian Frogmouth Catfish is a unique species of bottom dwelling catfish and a classic ambush predator, closely mimicking the appearance of a dead leaf and lying in wait for prey to swim too close to its cavernous mouth. Generally found in shallow, blackwater habitats in Northeastern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, their diet is primarily made up of smaller fish and insect larvae. It can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by its overall lighter coloration and collection point (other species are found exclusively in Southeast Asia). In the aquarium, they are hardly an active species but make for a unique addition to any predator tank. They should be provided a fine sand substrate and ideally some leaf litter or other cover to ensure they can exhibit their natural burying behavior to lie in wait for prey. While live foods are preferred, most specimens will accept frozen food such as bloodworms or mysis shrimp.