Context
- A new catfish species has been discovered in the river Cauvery near Mettur Dam.
About
- The edible species has been named Pangasius icaria ( P. icaria) after the Indian Council of Agricultural Research that discovered the species. The species belongs to the Pangasius genus.
- The genus Pangasius is found in the Gangetic plains but not in peninsular India.
- Through this study, they found that Pangasius specimens from the river Cauvery are different from other species of the genus Pangasius.
- The new species is edible and the locals call it aie keluthi in Tamil.
- Catfish has high commercial value in aquaculture and wild capture fisheries.
Mettur Dam
- It is the largest dam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.Â
- It is situated across the Cauvery River.
Source: TH
