Malawisjön

Fakta

Malawisjön är den nionde största sjön i världen med en yta på ca 31 000 km². Sjön är 602 km lång och ca 87 km bred på det bredaste avsnittet. Det största djupet är ca 700 meter och medeldjupet är 273 m, vattenytan ligger 472 meter över havsnivån. Sjön gränsar till länderna Tanzania, Moçambique och Malawi. Malawisjöns utlopp är floden Shire som är en biflod till Zambezi.

Denna väldiga sjö som är en av världens äldsta sjöar är en del av gravsänkan Rift Valley. Den uppskattas vara mellan en och två miljoner år gammal och på grund av det tropiska klimatet är vattnet ständigt skiktat med ett varmt lager nära ytan och ett kallare lager under detta. Vattnet är mycket klart. Vattennivån varierar med årstiderna, men även i längre cykler som sträcker sig över flera år. Under den mycket långa tidsperiod som sjön har varit isolerad ifrån de andra afrikanska sjöarna har här utvecklats mer än 600 olika ciklidarter som är endemiska till Malawisjön. Många av de olika arterna är specialiserade för att leva i de olika miljöer som finns i sjön, de flesta arterna är också mycket färgglada. Malawiciklider är bland de vackraste och intressantaste fiskarna man kan hålla i ett akvarium.

Ciklider från Malawisjön brukar oftast delas upp i undergrupperna:

• Aulonocara


• Haplochromis


• Mbunas


• Övriga

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