'freshwater Anglerfish'

[OohFeeshy]

Just come back from Aqualife, nothing interesting that I could house, athough I noticed something that, if I remember, was either called a Freshwater Anglerfish or a Freshwater Frogfish. Anglerfish, I think. The scientific name becan with 'ch', and I *think* it might have been ch....... spp. , but I'm not sure. Lookwise, it was dark brown/black, and seemed to have fins modified to look like a hillstream loaches, ie. flat to the bottom. I couldn't get that mant details as it was hiding under a bit of wood, but I'm assuming it's not really FW. Any ideas?

EDIT- Aha, it appears to be a 'freshwater' stonefish. Thats what it looks like, anyway.

 

[SirMinion]

It sounds like what you've found there is the Frogmouth catfish Chaca chaca, a true freshwater ambush hunting little South American demon with some very odd superpowers.

It excretes an acid that can lower the pH in an aquarium several points overnight and wipe out the other fish in the tank!

The chaca can (and will) swallow fish whole that are as big as it is!
We have one of these which we got at about an inch long. we feed it once a month on either live shrimp, frozen (thawed) lancefish, whitebait, prawns or occasionaly a mouse pinkie and its now about five inches long.

Here's a few of pictures of Chuck, our Chacachaca.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

YAY CHACA CHACA! Thats what i want!

Feeshy, search freshwater lionfish. They are brackish though.

EDIT- How are your chaca's doing SirMinion? Do you know anything about their natural habitat, i plan on setting up a tank for one.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

we feed it once a month on either live shrimp, frozen (thawed) lancefish, whitebait, prawns or occasionaly a mouse pinkie and its now about five inches long

you only have to feed this fish once a month?

 

[SirMinion]

They are brackish though

Chacachacas are 100% freshwater

we feed it once a month on either live shrimp, frozen (thawed) lancefish, whitebait, prawns or occasionaly a mouse pinkie and its now about five inches long

you only have to feed this fish once a month?

The Chacachaca does absolutely nothing. ever.
This means that they expend very little energy and don't need to feed very often much like many reptiles.

Chuck actually tells us when he's hungry by coming ot the front of the tank and unburying himself so we can see him. We give him his dinner using snake feeding tongs then turn out the light. When the light goes back on he's back under his log buried in the sand digesting his meal and he'll stay there until he's hungry again in about three to four weeks.

He's a facinating fish... for five minutes every four weeks.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

Chacachacas are 100% freshwater

No, i know chaca chacas are freshwater, i said the freshwater lionfish is brackish. I think they may also be called the freshwater stone fish. I'm not talking about chaca chacas.

Feeshy, if its not the chaca chaca google Allenbatrachus grunniens and see if thats it. Those fish are brackish.

 

[Squid]

Here's a few of pictures of Chuck, our Chacachaca.

I like him... kind of looks like someone trod on a plec and put him in the sand.

Squid

 

[OohFeeshy]

No, it wasn't a chaca, I would've known if it was As I said, seems 'FW' stonefish to me, or one of that kind of species. Chacas are one of the many things I want, can house, and no one sells.... meh...

 

[k.o.d]

Our chaca chaca is much the same, so ugly they are lovely but as immobile as the bogwood most of the time.


Is this what you mean??
This is sold as the Freshwater Lionfish/Toadfish

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yup, can't mistake the flattened fins and the 'I'm part of the furniture, honest' look. Just a shame I have no room for a brackish tank

 

[-germ-]

Just need to get a word on here so the thread is easy to find, need to show the missus that fish....
Its err... interesting

 

[Darkehorse]

It sounds like what you've found there is the Frogmouth catfish Chaca chaca, a true freshwater ambush hunting little South American demon with some very odd superpowers.

Actually Chaca Chaca is is from India, not South America.

-Darke

 

[cheesy feet]

Here's a few of pictures of Chuck, our Chacachaca.

I like him... kind of looks like someone trod on a plec and put him in the sand.

Squid