Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is a large rift valley lake in East Africa renowned for hosting more fish species than any other lake in the world, making it a globally significant site for biodiversity and evolutionary research.
Hosting more distinct fish species than any other lake on the entire planet, this East African rift lake has become one of the world's most important living laboratories for studying evolution in action.
Part of the East African Rift System
Lake Malawi formed within the East African Rift Valley, part of the same geological system responsible for several of the world's other deepest lakes.
The Most Fish Species of Any Lake
Lake Malawi hosts more fish species than any other lake in the world, with an estimated 1,000 or more species, most of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
A Meromictic Lake
The lake is meromictic, meaning its water forms distinct layers that do not mix, resulting in deep waters that remain low in oxygen and support little life compared to the vibrant shallows.
Shared Among Three Nations
The lake's waters and shoreline are shared among Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, with the lake serving as a critical resource for fishing and transportation across the region.
A Globally Significant Site for Evolutionary Study
Lake Malawi's extraordinary cichlid fish diversity has made it one of the world's most important natural laboratories for studying rapid evolutionary diversification.
