Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika | |
---|---|
Max. length | 673 km (418 mi) |
Max. width | 72 km (45 mi) |
Surface area | 32,900 km2 (12,700 sq mi) |
Average depth | 570 m (1,870 ft) |
Max. depth | 1,470 m (4,820 ft) |
Water volume | 18,750 km3 (4,500 cu mi) |
Residence time | 5500 years[1] |
Shore length1 | 1,828 km (1,136 mi) |
Surface elevation | 773 m (2,536 ft)[2] |
Settlements | Kigoma, Tanzania Kalemie, DRC Bujumbura, Burundi Mpulungu, Zambia |
References | [2] |
Official name | Tanganyika |
Designated | 2 February 2007 |
Reference no. | 1671[3] |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Lake Tanganyika (/ˌtæŋɡənˈjiːkə, -ɡæn-/;[4] Kirundi : Ikiyaga ca Tanganyika) is an African Great Lake.[5] It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia.[6][7] It is the world's longest freshwater lake.[6] The lake is shared among four countries—Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Zambia—with Tanzania (46%) and DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake. It drains into the Congo River system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.[citation needed]
Geography
Lake Tanganyika is situated within the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is confined by the mountainous walls of the valley. It is the largest rift lake in Africa and the second-largest lake by volume in the world. It is the deepest lake in Africa and holds the greatest volume of fresh water on the continent, accounting for 16% of the world's available fresh water. It extends for 676 km (420 mi) in a general north–south direction and averages 50 km (31 mi) in width. The lake covers 32,900 km2 (12,700 sq mi), with a shoreline of 1,828 km (1,136 mi), a mean depth of 570 m (1,870 ft) and a maximum depth of 1,470 m (4,820 ft) (in the northern basin). It holds an estimated 18,750 km3 (4,500 cu mi).[8]
The catchment area of the lake is 231,000 km2 (89,000 sq mi). Two main rivers flow into the lake, as well as numerous smaller rivers and streams (whose lengths are limited by the steep mountains around the lake). The one major outflow is the Lukuga River, which empties into the Congo River drainage. Precipitation and evaporation play a greater role than the rivers. At least 90% of the water influx is from rain falling on the lake's surface and at least 90% of the water loss is from direct evaporation.[9]
The major river flowing into the lake is the Ruzizi River, formed about 10,000 years ago, which enters the north of the lake from Lake Kivu.[10] The Malagarasi River, which is Tanzania's second largest river, enters the east side of Lake Tanganyika.[10] The Malagarasi is older than Lake Tanganyika, and before the lake was formed, it probably was a headwater of the Lualaba River, the main Congo River headstream.[9]
The lake has a complex history of changing flow patterns, due to its high altitude, great depth, slow rate of refill, and mountainous location in a turbulently volcanic area that has undergone climate changes. Apparently, it has rarely in the past had an outflow to the sea. It has been described as "practically
The lake may also have at times had different inflows and outflows; inward flows from a higher Lake Rukwa, access to Lake Malawi and an exit route to the Nile have all been proposed to have existed at some point in the lake's history.[11]
Lake Tanganyika is an ancient lake, one of only twenty more than a million years old. Its three basins, which in periods with much lower water levels were separate lakes, are of different ages. The central began to form 9–12 million years ago (Mya), the northern 7–8 Mya and the southern 2–4 Mya.[12]
Water characteristics
The lake's water is
Surface temperatures generally range from about 24 °C (75 °F) in the southern part of the lake in early August to 28–29 °C (82–84 °F) in the late rainy season in March—April.
The lake is
Biology
Reptiles
Lake Tanganyika and associated wetlands are home to
Cichlid fish
The lake holds at least 250 species of
Although Tanganyika has far fewer cichlid species than Lakes
Most Tanganyika cichlids live along the shoreline down to a depth of 100 m (330 ft), but some deep-water species regularly descend to 200 m (660 ft).
Many cichlids from Lake Tanganyika, such as species from the genera Altolamprologus, Cyprichromis, Eretmodus, Julidochromis, Lamprologus, Neolamprologus, Tropheus and Xenotilapia, are popular aquarium fish due to their bright colors and patterns, and interesting behaviors.[40] Recreating a Lake Tanganyika biotope to host those cichlids in a habitat similar to their natural environment is also popular in the aquarium hobby.[40][44]
-
Benthochromini (E): Benthochromis horii was scientifically described in 2008, but has often been misidentifed as B. tricoti[47]
-
-
Cyprichromini (E): Cyprichromis microlepidotus and other members of this tribe are open-water planktivores[49][50]
-
sexually dimorphic, males being more colorful with longer fins and nose[51]
-
Haplochromini: Astatotilapia burtoni is one of the few Tanganyika species,[53] unlike other African Great Lakes where most belong to this tribe[54]
-
Lamprologini (E): Julidochromis marlieri is popular in the aquarium trade where members of the genus are known as "Julies"[55]
-
Limnochromini (E): Gnathochromis permaxillaris is a zooplanktivore with an unusual protractile mouth[56]
-
scale-eating species[57]
-
Tilapiini: Oreochromis tanganicae is one of the most common coastal species found in local fish markets[58]
Other fish
Lake Tanganyika is home to more than 80 species of non-cichlid fish and about 60% of these are endemic.[19][27][63][64]
The open waters of the pelagic zone are dominated by four non-cichlid species: Two species of "Tanganyika sardine" (
Among the more unusual fish in the lake are the endemic,
Among the non-endemic fish, some are widespread African species but several are only shared with the Malagarasi and Congo River basins, such as the
Molluscs and crustaceans
A total of 83
Crustaceans are also highly diverse in Tanganyika with more than 200 species, of which more than half are endemic.
Among Rift Valley lakes, Lake Tanganyika far surpasses all others in terms of crustacean and freshwater snail richness (both in total number of species and number of endemics).[82] For example, the only other Rift Valley lake with endemic freshwater crabs are Lake Kivu and Lake Victoria with two species each.[83][84]
Other invertebrates
The diversity of other invertebrate groups in Lake Tanganyika is often not well-known, but there are at least 20 described species of leeches (12 endemics),[85] 9 sponges (7 endemic), 6 bryozoa (2 endemic), 11 flatworms (7 endemic), 20 nematodes (7 endemic), 28 annelids (17 endemic)[27] and the small hydrozoan jellyfish Limnocnida tanganyicae.[86]
Fishing
Lake Tanganyika supports a major fishery, which, depending on source, provides 25–40%[87] or c. 60% of the animal protein in the diet of the people living in the region.[16][88]
Lake Tanganyika fish can be found exported throughout East Africa. Major commercial fishing began in the mid-1950s and has, together with global warming, had a heavy impact on the fish populations, causing significant declines.[16][88][15] In 2016, it was estimated that the total catch was up to 200,000 tonnes.[16]
History
It is thought that early
There are many methods in which the native people of the area were fishing. Most of them included using a lantern as a lure for fish that are attracted to light. There were three basic forms. One called Lusenga which is a wide net used by one person from a canoe. The second one is using a lift net. This was done by dropping a net deep below the boat using two parallel canoes and then simultaneously pulling it up. The third is called Chiromila which consisted of three canoes. One canoe was stationary with a lantern while another canoe holds one end of the net and the other circles the stationary one to meet up with the net.[90]
The first known Westerners to find the lake were the British explorers
The lake was the scene of
References
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- ^ a b "LAKE TANGANYIKA". www.ilec.or.jp. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- ^ "Tanganyika". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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- ^ Lewis, R. (16 May 2010). "Brown Geologists Show Unprecedented Warming in Lake Tanganyika". Brown University. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ "Datbase Summary: Lake Tanganyika". ilec.or.jp. Japan: International Lake Environment Committee Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 November 1999. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- ^ a b c d Kullander, S.O.; Roberts, T.R. (2011). "Out of Lake Tanganyika: endemic lake fishes inhabit rapids of the Lukuga River". Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 22 (4): 355–76.
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- ^ Lowe-McConnell, R.H. (2003). "Recent research in the African Great Lakes: Fisheries, biodiversity and cichlid evolution". Freshwater Forum. 20 (1): 4–64.
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- ^ a b c d e Wright, J.J.; and L.M. Page (2006). Taxonomic revision of Lake Tanganyikan Synodontis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae). Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 46(4): 99–154.
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External links
- Texts on Wikisource:
- "Tanganyika". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
- "Tanganyika". The New Student's Reference Work. 1914.
- "Tanganyika". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.