Cataquack

"Those large-billed Cataquacks tend to be very territorial. So, when they spot an outsider such as yourself, they go wild! They'll run up and hurl you into the air, but they mean no harm."

- Noki

Cataquacks, also called Paihanas, Piahanas, or Pihanas, are duck-like enemies that first appear in Super Mario Sunshine. They are known for catapulting Mario or other characters into the air. Blue Cataquacks are said to become nervous when confronted by strangers, but they never want to harm them; however, a red variant called Chuhanas or Red Cataquacks harms any strangers that are in its way. Their name is likely a portmanteau of "catapult" and "quack," referring to their behavior and appearance (similar to a ), respectively. Cataquacks, like Plungelos, resemble Wiggler segments, and they are further connected by their similar location and Japanese names. Enemies with similar functions, called Heave-Hos, appear in Super Mario 64.

Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, Cataquacks come in red and blue varieties. They walk aimlessly on the beach, but when they sense Mario nearby, they charge at him until he gets far enough away from them or they reach a ledge or water. If they make contact, they use their beaks to throw Mario into the air. This can be both helpful and harmful; Mario can sustain damage if he lands on the same ground from which he was launched, but he can also reach platforms and coins he otherwise could not with normal jumps. Blue Cataquacks cannot damage Mario unless he touches them directly, but red ones can damage him through their catapult. If swarmed by Red Cataquacks, Mario may become trapped in a loop of catapulting and suffer a large amount of damage, potentially enough to lose a life.

Normally, Cataquacks are immune to all of Mario's direct attacks, but when sprayed with FLUDD, they flip over and become stunned. During this time, Mario can get a coin by jumping on them, which causes them to sink into the ground. If he sprays a stunned Cataquack, it remains stunned for a longer time. When sprayed over sand, Cataquacks sink into it without having to jump on them, but they do not give a coin. Cataquacks can be defeated only by eating them with a Yoshi, catapulting them into the air with the outburst of a nearby Dune Bud, or luring them towards water while using the Hover Nozzle.

Blue Cataquacks tend to be calmer, and they fall asleep if left undisturbed. According to a Noki on Gelato Beach, Red Cataquacks are new to the area. As the player progresses through Gelato Beach's episodes, the number of Red Cataquacks and Cataquacks in general increases, while the number of Blue Cataquacks decreases. By Episode 8, only one Blue Cataquack remains, sleeping atop a palm tree away from the beach. In this episode, Red Cataquacks swarm most of Gelato Beach, increasing the difficulty of bringing the watermelon to the Surf Cabana. If the watermelon hits a Cataquack, it is thrown upwards and destroyed when it hits the ground, leaving a coin behind.

In Episode 1, Mario can get a Blue Coin by overturning the single Red Cataquack and jumping on it, and in Episode 8, he can get a Blue Coin by doing so on the remaining Blue Cataquack.

Cataquacks can also appear in Sirena Beach during Episode 5. If King Boo spins three question marks on the slot machines, he may spit out two Blue Cataquacks that disappear after a short time. A subspecies of Cataquacks called Plungelos appears as mini-bosses in Episode 2 of Gelato Beach.

Blue Cataquacks are one of the few enemies in the game confirmed to be native to Isle Delfino, as most of the others (presumably including Red Cataquacks) were created from Shadow Mario's graffiti. Despite this, both colors of Cataquacks appear to splatter when they are defeated via a Dune Bud.

Super Mario Galaxy
In Super Mario Galaxy, the blue variety of Cataquacks reappears in the Gold Leaf Galaxy and the Beach Bowl Galaxy. Mario can use them to fling himself to high or out-of-reach places. Honeybees are seen to keep them as pets, fencing them in. In this game, they can be defeated only by luring them into the water, where they vanish, but they reappear shortly after (along with Koopa Troopas, they are the only enemies that respawn). If Mario spins next to them, ground-pounds near them, or touches them while in his rainbow form, they will flip over and be stunned for a few seconds. Unlike in Super Mario Sunshine, Cataquacks are completely harmless due to the game's lack of falling damage. Additionally, these Cataquacks jump and give out an excited squeak before chasing, rather than immediately pursuing Mario. They have a very slight redesign in that the yellow circles on their sides are now a defined ridge rather than simply a pattern, lessening the resemblance to Wiggler segments. According to a honeybee in the Gold Leaf Galaxy, Cataquacks (or at least one specimen found nearby) are native to the Flower Planet.

Additionally, the flag on the Sea Slide Galaxy tower depicts a seagull with a stylized head that resembles a Cataquack's.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Cataquacks appear on the course Peach Beach. They are revealed to also come in purple and green varieties in addition to red and blue ones. They walk on the beach and target karts like in Super Mario Sunshine, but they avoid the stone path in between the grass and the beach. If a kart runs into them, it is thrown upwards, removing all of its speed and making the drivers drop their items. Cataquacks can be temporarily knocked out by Green Shells and Red Shells, as well as Lightning.

Mario Kart Arcade GP / Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
In Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, Red and Blue Cataquacks make a cameo appearance in the backgrounds of some courses in the Mario Cup.

Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii, Peach Beach and its Cataquacks return. In this game, exclamation points appear above their heads when they are alerted to passing karts. Additionally, the stone path between grass and sand is now able to be trespassed by Cataquacks, leaving karts vulnerable to an attack. When the player uses Wi-Fi Connection or races in a Time Trial, they do not give chase. New items such as the POW Block, Mega Mushroom, and Bullet Bill are also able to temporarily stun the Cataquacks.

Trivia

 * Notably, in Super Mario Sunshine, whenever Mario gets launched in the air by a Cataquack, he screams the same way he does when falling a great distance instead of when getting tossed in other ways, such as getting launched by Pianta Throwers.