Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. 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. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. 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.
The Tanganyika sardine is known as kapenta or matemba in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Kapenta is two species, both of which are small, planktivorous, pelagic, freshwater clupeid originating from Lake Tanganyika in Zambia. They form the major biomass of pelagic fish in Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi, swimming in large schools in the open lake, feeding on copepods and potentially jellyfish. Their major predators are four species of Lates which are also endemic to Lake Tanganyika, and are related to the Nile perch in Lake Victoria. All of these pelagic fish have suffered from overfishing in the last two decades.
Mastacembelus is a genus of many species of spiny eel fish from the family Mastacembelidae. They are native to Africa and Asia. Most are found in rivers and associated systems, but there are also species in other freshwater habitats and a particularly rich radiation is found in the Lake Tanganyika basin with 15 species. A few species can even occur in brackish water.
Synodontis multipunctatus, also known as the cuckoo catfish, cuckoo squeaker, or multipunk, is a small catfish from Lake Tanganyika, one of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley system in Africa. It is a brood parasite upon mouthbrooding cichlids. This species grows to a length of 27.5 centimetres (10.8 in) TL. This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries.
Grammatotria lemairii is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa where it prefers areas with sandy substrates. This species can reach a length of 26 centimetres (10 in) TL. It is currently the only known member of its genus. The species is occasionally kept as an aquarium fish. The specific name honours Lieutenant Charles Lemaire (1863-1925) who was the leader of the Congo Free State Expedition, which collected specimens of fishes at Lake Tanganyika, including the type of G. lemairii.
Interochromis loocki is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It is a widespread but rare species living on rocky substrates in 2–3 m (7–10 ft) of water. This species can reach a length of 10.5 centimetres (4.1 in) TL. It is currently the only known member of its genus.
Chelaethiops minutus is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and its outflow, the Lukuga River and is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Altolamprologus compressiceps is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to the shallow rocky areas of Lake Tanganyika. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
Bathybates minor is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it forms schools and feeds mainly on clupeids, mostly Stolothrissa tanganicae.
The featherfin cichlid is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is found off rocky slopes. It feeds on plankton. This fish can reach a length of 21 centimetres (8.3 in) TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This is currently the only species recognized in the genus by FishBase, but genetics and morphology suggest there are two valid species. The second is frequently called C. foae in the aquarium trade, but a review of the type specimen is needed to clarify if this is the correct name.
Cyprichromis leptosoma is a mouthbrooding species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Zambia and Tanzania. It seems quite common within its range and faces no particular threats, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.
The Tanganyika killifish is a species of poeciliid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where it forms large schools, mainly close to rocky shores but also pelagically off shore. This species grows to a length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in) SL. It is an egglayer with external fertilization, and deposits its eggs in narrow crevices. It is fished commercially for food, and also for the aquarium trade. It has been introduced to Lake Kivu.
The Tanganyika lates is a species of lates perch endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It is a widespread predator on other fishes. This species can reach a length of 200 centimetres (79 in) SL and the greatest recorded weight is 100 kilograms (220 lb). This species is important commercially and is also popular as a game fish. It is threatened by the pressures that these activities put upon the population.
Mastacembelus platysoma is a species of fish, a spiny eel in the family Mastacembelidae. It is found in Lake Tanganyika which is bordered by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. The IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".
Oreochromis tanganicae, the Tanganyika tilapia, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika and the mouths of its larger affluent rivers. This species can reach a length of 42 centimetres (17 in) SL.
The spotfin goby cichlid is an African species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is only known from the northern end of the lake. They live amongst pebbles in the surf-zone. This species can reach a length of 7 centimetres (2.8 in) TL. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade. Although presently considered the only species in the genus, another undescribed species is known from the Lukuga River.
Tropheus duboisi, the white spotted cichlid, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It can reach a length of 12 cm (4.7 in).
Stanleya neritinoides is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Paludomidae.
Platythelphusa is a genus of freshwater crabs endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It has been placed in a number of families, including a monotypic family, Platythelphusidae, as well as Potamidae and its current position in the Potamonautidae, and has also been treated as a subgenus of Potamonautes. It forms a monophyletic group, possibly nested within the genus Potamonautes, which would therefore be paraphyletic. The genus is the only evolutionary radiation of crabs to have occurred in a freshwater lake, and it occurred recently, probably since the Pliocene. This parallels the better known radiation of cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika. Only one other species of freshwater crab is found in Lake Tanganyika, Potamonautes platynotus.
Mastacembelus ellipsifer is a species of spiny eel that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa and sometimes kept in aquariums. Although sometimes called the Tanganyikan spiny eel, it is only one of fifteen spiny eel species in the Tanganyikan basin.
