A new catfish species has been discovered in the river Cauvery near Mettur Dam. The edible species has been named Pangasius icaria ( P. icaria) after Indian Council of Agricultural Research that discovered the species. The species belongs to the Pangasius genus.
Kuldeep Kumar Lal, director of ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetics Resources, said the genus Pangasius is found in the Gangetic plains but not in peninsular India. “For nearly two centuries it was known that Pangasius is represented by only one species in India as well as South Asia and is called Pangasius Pangasius. Around 50 years ago, there was confusion that the species had migrated to peninsular India and did not become like other species,.” he said.
A number of species have developed from the same genus and travelled to peninsular India but not Pangasius.
