Chaca (fish)
genus of catfishes
Chaca is the only genus in the catfish family Chacidae. These fish are commonly known as squarehead catfishes, frogmouth catfishes, or angler catfishes. These unusual fish have a sedentary lifestyle and spend much of their time motionless.
The name Chaca is because, when removed from the water, they will rapidly repeat the sound "chaca". Only C. chaca makes these sounds; the other species do not.
Species
The four currently recognized species in this genus are:
Chaca bankanensis Bleeker, 1852 (angler catfish)
Chaca burmensis B. A. Brown & Ferraris, 1988
Chaca chaca (F. Hamilton, 1822) (squarehead catfish)
Chaca serica H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2012
Distribution and habitat
Chaca species are found in fresh water from eastern India to Borneo.
C. chaca is found in rivers, canals, and ponds of grassland, scrubland, deciduous forest, and rainforest habitats. On the other hand, C. bankanensis is only found in the rainforest, where it inhabits peat.
Appearance and anatomy
Chaca catfish have elongated, broad, and flattened heads. The mouths are terminal and very wide.
“Chaca (fish)” enters the record as genus of catfishes. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Chaca, fish and genus can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Chaca (fish)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Chaca, fish and genus provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 30, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q861395. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1852, 1988, 1822 and 2012.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chaca (fish)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chaca (fish) primary sources, Chaca (fish) archive and Chaca research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chaca (fish)”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chaca (fish)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.