Thiruvananthapuram: The discovery of a new variety of edible freshwater catfish in a small stream in Mavelikkara has thrown the spotlight on the luxurious diversity of catfish species in the inland waterbodies in the state.
The medium sized-fish was collected from a small stream at Mavelikara in Alappuzha district by Dr Mathews Plamoottil, Head of the Department of Zoology, Baby John Memorial Government College, Chavara, Kollam. In an article describing this new fish, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Research in Biology, Mr Plamoottil states that the “fish is characterised by yellowish body without any stripes, short snout, four pairs of unusually elongated barbells (whisker-like sensory organ located near the mouth), a groove on the head and an elongated rayed dorsal fin higher then the body.” The species was found to inhabit shallow and clear waterbodies.
Dr Plamoottil said that the new species bears the features of the genus Mystus but possesses enough characters to distinguish it from its congeners, or other fishes of the genus. Reason why it has been described here as a new species Mystus catapogon.
The species name ‘catapogon’ is a Greek word that means ‘long beard’. This refers to the species’s long barbells, which are whisker-like sensory organs near the mouth of the fish. The new fish has received the Zoo bank Register number from the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature, the official authority for scientifically naming animals.
Samples of the new species have been deposited at the Government National Museum of India at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dr. Mathews is the recipient of the best researcher award instituted the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
