Ecosystem Reference
Ecosystem Malawi
Type Lake
Salinity freshwater
Other Names Lake Nyasa
Location
Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, Zambezi River basin, southeast Africa 8° S 16° S - 32° E 36° E
Location Map E_CODE 12_mod.jpg
Size Ref
River Length 600 km Area 22490 km2 Drainage Area
Depth
Average Depth Max Depth 706 m Ref 6232
Temperature
Surface
100 Meters Depth
Description Average width 40 km. Has only one deep basin in the north. Drains into the Zambezi through the Shiré River. Lake zones include: estuaries of rivers and sheltered bays, sandy and rocky shores, rel. shallow but open inshore waters, pelagic region (upper 100 m), benthic region, and the abyssal (below 200 m) (Ref. 6316). Over 2 million years old; over 600 endemic fish species; more fish species than any other lake; about 8,400 km3 volume of water (Ref. 30553). Defined here as the lake and its tributaries, and the upper Shiré River (down to Kapachira Falls). Includes: upper Shire, Lake Malombe, Lilongwe, Dwangwa, Songwe, Ruhuhu, crater lake Rungwe (Lake Kiungululu, Lake Masoko, Lake Ikapu)
Comments on faunal list
URL 1 http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/afr/afr-13.html
URL 2
Ecosystem Checklist Link
Total
FishBase Literature
Species Families Species Families Reference
491 15 640 30553
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