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Yes. Lake Tanganyika supports a diverse fish community, including many endemic cichlids and six endemic non-cichlid species in its open-water pelagic community. Its fish are important both to the lake’s biodiversity and to fisheries shared by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The exact number depends on which fish group is being counted and how taxonomists treat undescribed species. Conservation concerns include fishing pressure and threats to important nearshore habitats, while regional stock-assessment and management work is ongoing.
What fish live in Lake Tanganyika?
Lake Tanganyika has a varied fish fauna associated with nearshore and lake-bottom habitats as well as open water. Cichlids are a defining part of its diversity, but they are not the only fish in the lake. FAO describes almost 300 demersal fish species and six endemic non-cichlid species in the pelagic community.
| Group or habitat | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cichlids | More than 200 valid described species in a 2020 review | A distinctive, highly endemic part of the lake’s fish diversity |
| Demersal fish | Fish associated with the lake bottom and related habitats | FAO’s Lake Tanganyika Research account describes almost 300 species, over two-thirds endemic |
| Pelagic non-cichlids | Two schooling sardines and four Lates predators | Six endemic species make up the account’s open-water non-cichlid community |
These categories describe ecological groups and habitats, not a single exhaustive checklist. The demersal and pelagic figures come from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Lake Tanganyika Research fisheries account.
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How many cichlid species are in Lake Tanganyika?
A 2020 taxonomic review lists 208 valid described cichlid species and concludes that at least 241 cichlid species occur in the lake. The authors report that all but two are endemic to the Lake Tanganyika basin. These are cichlid counts, not a total for every fish in the lake.
The same review discusses more than 50 undescribed or taxonomically challenging taxa. Because species descriptions and classifications can change, the figures should be attributed to the review rather than treated as a final, unchanging count. See the 2020 cichlid taxonomic review.
Which fish live in the open water?
FAO identifies six endemic non-cichlid species in Lake Tanganyika’s pelagic, or open-water, community: two schooling sardines and four predatory Lates species.
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| Ecological role | Species named by FAO |
|---|---|
| Schooling sardines | Limnothrissa miodon and Stolothrissa tanganicae |
| Lates predators | Lates stappersii, Lates angustifrons, Lates mariae, and Lates microlepis |
These open-water fish are only part of the lake’s fauna. Many other fish are associated with nearshore or bottom habitats, so “Lake Tanganyika fish” should not be used as a synonym for either cichlids or pelagic species.
Why are Lake Tanganyika fish important to people?
Lake Tanganyika supports fisheries and livelihoods around the lake. In its historical fisheries account, FAO says the commercial fishery was essentially based on the two clupeids—the schooling sardines—and Lates stappersii. This describes the account’s historical context, not the current composition of catches.
A 2000 FAO/African Development Bank report summary estimated that around one million people were directly reliant on the fisheries. That is a historical estimate, not a current population count. The source is the FAO/AfDB summary of the Lake Tanganyika Framework Fisheries Management Plan.
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What threatens Lake Tanganyika fish?
Fishing pressure and human threats to important nearshore habitats are conservation concerns. A 2024 study documents these issues for inshore fish communities in northwestern Lake Tanganyika; its regional focus should not be taken as a uniform measurement of conditions across the entire lake.
Fishery conditions can involve multiple interacting pressures. The available research does not establish that one threat dominates lake-wide, or that climate change alone explains changes in fisheries. See the 2024 study of inshore fish communities and conservation needs.
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Lake Tanganyika is shared by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia, so fisheries management requires regional cooperation. On 5 October 2026, the Lake Tanganyika Authority reported a regional technical meeting reviewing stock-assessment materials for three major commercial pelagic species and discussing seasonal-closure impacts and monitoring and control procedures.
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The update describes management work in progress; it does not publish final stock-assessment results or show that stocks have recovered. Read the Lake Tanganyika Authority’s 5 October 2026 update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all fish in Lake Tanganyika cichlids?
No. The lake also has demersal fish and a pelagic community that includes two schooling sardines and four Lates predators, according to FAO.
How many cichlid species are in Lake Tanganyika?
A 2020 taxonomic review lists 208 valid described species and concludes that at least 241 occur in the lake when undescribed or unresolved taxa are considered. The authors report that all but two are endemic to the basin.
Are Lake Tanganyika fish endangered?
The sources in this research do not establish that all, or any particular set of, Lake Tanganyika fish are endangered. Conservation concerns include fishing pressure and threats to nearshore habitats; species-specific risk requires species-specific evidence.
Is Lake Tanganyika’s fishery based on every species in the lake?
No. FAO’s historical account says the commercial fishery was essentially based on the two clupeids and Lates stappersii. That is a historical description, not a current catch estimate.
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