Chaca (genus)
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Chaca is the only genus in the catfish family Chacidae. These fish are commonly known as squarehead catfishes or angler catfishes.
Thse fish have a broad head that is long and flattened. The mouth is terminal and very wide which can be expanded very quickly to swallow prey. There are three or four pairs of barbels, though if the nasal barbels are present they are minute.
These fish are ambush predators. They will lie in wait, well camouflaged, in preparation for prey to swim by. Sometimes, they use their maxillary barbels to lure prey fish closer to its mouth. When it is ready to strike, the Chaca will open its mouth rapidly, creating a vacuum that pulls in water and its prey.
This fish is named for the sound it makes when it is pulled out of the water.
[edit] References
- "Chacidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Mar 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
- "Chaca". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Mar 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
- Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317
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