TankBud

Squarehead catfish

Chaca chaca

Also known as Angler catfish, Frogmouth catfish, Indian chaca, Chaca catfish, Frog mouth catfish

FreshwaterFish

Squarehead catfish (Chaca chaca)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Chacidae
Origin
Found in slow rivers and floodplains of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar.

Overview

The squarehead is a specialist oddball that barely moves, spending its life half-buried and waiting to ambush prey, so it is more of a display curiosity than an active fish. It is not aggressive toward things it cannot eat, but its huge mouth means any tankmate that fits will vanish, so choose companions carefully or keep it alone. It often refuses dry food and prefers live or fresh meaty items, and its big meals can foul the water, so watch quality. A single fish is comfortable in a soft-water tank around 150 liters.

In the wild

The squarehead catfish lives in slow, soft, often tannin-stained rivers and floodplains of South Asia, lying motionless on the bottom among leaf litter and mud. It is a sit-and-wait ambush predator with a broad flat head and an enormous upturned mouth. Give it soft sand, leaf litter, dim light, gentle flow, and soft acidic water at 22 to 26 degrees C.

Good to know

Chaca chaca reaches about 20 cm, with a recent record specimen near 24 cm, and is built as a pure ambush hunter, its lumpy shape and drab color making it look like a waterlogged leaf. It waves a small lure near its mouth to draw prey close, then engulfs it with a rapid gulp. It can swallow fish nearly half its own length.

Did you know

It hunts by dangling a small fleshy lure near its mouth and staying utterly still, so a passing fish that comes to investigate is inhaled in a fraction of a second.

Common questions

What size tank does a Squarehead catfish need?

A Squarehead catfish needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Squarehead catfish need?

A Squarehead catfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

How big does a Squarehead catfish get?

An adult Squarehead catfish reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species