African Cichlids (from Lake Tanganyika and Malawi)
Lake Tanganyika and Malawi are unique African Rift Lakes amongst other lakes of Africa. They were formed by a seperation of the earth's crust (a constructive plate boundary). This recent geological event has formed sea-sized lakes which hold a vast number of cichlid species and each individual species have extravagante colour morphs. In fact, the two lakes have a similar habitat of that of a small sea. The lakes have high mineral contents that make the water hard and alkaline, the temperature and pH values of the lake remain constant over the seasons because of its large size and even more unique is its reef structures (made of rocks).
Lake Tanganyika and Malawi are located in the center of Africa. The are rocky lakes and seldom have any large areas of water plants. There are natural beaches as well as clear blue water in the unpolluted lakes. The local Africans depend on cichlids to survive and catch millions of pounds of cichlids every year. For more information on the lakes, you can visit http://www.malawi.com for Lake Malawi and http://www.africa.com for information on both lakes.
This site is dedicated to the species of cichlids that inhabit the Rift Lakes of Africa. For more information about Lake Tanganyika or Malawi and their cichlid species, please feel free to visit our individual sections that are shown below:
