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You are here: Home > Conservation Snapshots > Lake Victoria Cichlid |
Conservation Snapshots
Lake Victoria Cichlid
(Haplochromis spp.)
©Jay Hemdal 2006
The Lake Victoria Basin is the most important freshwater fishery in Africa, home to a tremendous number of unique species of cichlids. Due to pressures from pollution, the build-up of algae, and an introduced fish called the Nile perch, the cichlids are going extinct faster than all the species can be described.
A major goal of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for Lake Victoria cichlids is to develop captive breeding programs at AZA zoos and aquariums to preserve many of these species for the future. AZA's 2006 Conservation Endowment Fund grant to the Toronto Zoo and New England Aquarium has also provided over $15,000 to support the Lake Victoria Cichlid SSP's conservation education work with the local National Museums of Kenya and Fisheries Resources and Research Institute in Uganda.
Biological Information
| Size | Varies depending on sex and species. Most reach 3 to 6 inches in length. |
| Color | Varies. Males are generally brightly colored and females dull |
| Habitat: | Found only in the Lake Victoria Basin (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya) |
| Diet: | Differs by species: algae, plants, snails, crustaceans, other fish and even members of their own species. |
| Breeding: | "Mouth brooders," eggs and wrigglers develop in the mouth of the female and number from 10 to 80 or so, depending on the species. |
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