Cataquack

Cataquacks are easily angered duck-like creatures that live on Gelato Beach. When they get angry they hurl Mario into the air. They can be both useful and dangerous. The blue ones are said to get nervous at strangers, but never want to harm them.

In Super Mario Sunshine, Cataquacks come in two colors, red and blue. The blue Cataquacks cannot damage Mario (unless he touches them directly), but the red ones can. Both varieties are rather lazy and will fall asleep if left undisturbed. The red version is reportedly new to the area. However, as the game continues, more and more red Cataquacks are seen, as well as the number of the Cataquacks in general increases. In the end, only one blue Cataquack is remaining. By running into a Cataquack and getting thrown upwards, Mario can get high-floating coins. When sprayed with F.L.U.D.D., they turn over, and Mario can jump on them for an additional coin. However, they can only be truly defeated by Yoshi, or when getting catapulted into the air by the outburst of a nearby Dune Bud. In the eighth episode of Gelato Beach, The Watermelon Festival, Cataquacks have swarmed from the beach to the higher areas of the level. They hinder Mario from rolling the watermelon to the beach; when the rolling watermelon hits a Cataquack, it is thrown upwards and destroyed.

In the first episodes, Mario can get a Blue Coin by overturning the single red Cataquack and jumping on it, and in the last episodes, he can get a Blue Coin by doing so on the remaining blue Cataquack. Cataquacks may also randomly appear in the fight against King Boo in Hotel Delfino.

A sub-species of Cataquacks called Plungelos appear as mini-bosses also in Super Mario Sunshine, in Episode 2 of Gelato Beach.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Cataquacks are revealed to come in purple and green varieties, in addition to the other red and blue colors. The game also reveals that they are also known as Pihanas (which is actually a Japanese name for them; one should note its use of "hana", the Japanese word for "flower"). They can be found on Peach Beach. When a kart runs into them, the car is thrown upwards, stopping the drivers and making them drop their items. The Cataquacks can be knocked out by Green or Red Shells, or Thunderbolts. This course reappears in Mario Kart Wii with the Cataquacks.

In Super Mario Galaxy, Cataquacks make a reappearance. Mario uses them to fling him to high places. Only the blue variety is present in this game, found in the Gold Leaf Galaxy (a planet of which being their apparent native home, according to a Bee) and the Beach Bowl Galaxy. Bees keep them as pets. In this game, they can only be defeated by luring them into the water, where they will vanish. They will reappear shortly afterward, however. If Mario star spins the tail, they will be knocked out for a few seconds. Cataquacks are completely harmless in this game.

Trivia

 * Their name could be based on the word catapult, and quack, as they fling their adversaries high in the air, and are rather duck-like.
 * Heave Hos from Super Mario 64 could have been the precursor to Cataquacks, in that both enemies attack by flinging Mario high into the air, which can be useful or harmful, depending on the situation.