Rita chrysea, a member of the Bagridae family, is a medium-sized freshwater catfish predominantly inhabiting the Mahanadi River system, coursing through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha in India. It has been classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Researchers at ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar, have achieved successful breeding and rearing of R. chrysea in an intiative that aims to to popularise the species through training programs for farmers. This article describes methodologies to induce spawning and rear the larvae of R. chrysea and its performance in captivity, potentially paving the way for its adoption as a mainstream aquaculture species.

Furthermore, the insights provided in this article may contribute to ensuring the captive breeding and rearing of two other species, R. pavimentata and R. rita, in the future. These species, belonging to the same genus, dominate Indian river systems.