Frogmouth catfish (Chaca) are rarely kept in the aquarium and even more rarely bred. There are four species: Chaca chaca from India, C. burmensis from Burma, C. bankanensis from Malaysia and parts of Indonesia and C. serica from south of Borneo. The four species look very similar and were not distinguished from each other for a long time.
In the wild, Chaca catfish live on muddy-sandy bottoms, into which they also like to burrow. This makes them dreaded traps in the water, because if a person steps on them barefoot, the catfish raises its dorsal fin, which is armed with a sharp and pointed sting. The sting hurts badly and is of course very susceptible to infection. In view of their usual way of life, it is very surprising that chacas have proved to be cave breeders in the aquarium!
We are now able to offer small specimens from domestic breeding for the first time ever. The animals are 3-4 cm long and already look like miniature versions of their parents. They also behave like this. When the opportunity presents itself, they dig themselves into the sand. The grains of sand stick to the skin and provide perfect camouflage!
General information on caring for Chaca can be found here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/chaca-chaca-4/ and here https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/10e-catfishes-from-asia/chaca_bankanensis_en/
For our customers: the animals have code 408311 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
