Pangasius Icaria

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. 
• It is situated across the Cauvery River.

Source: TH