| Description |
Average width 40 km. Has only one deep basin in the north. Drains into the Zambezi through the Shiré River. Lake zones include: estuaries of rivers and sheltered bays, sandy and rocky shores, rel. shallow but open inshore waters, pelagic region (upper 100 m), benthic region, and the abyssal (below 200 m) (Ref. 6316). Over 2 million years old; over 600 endemic fish species; more fish species than any other lake; about 8,400 km3 volume of water (Ref. 30553). Defined here as the lake and its tributaries, and the upper Shiré River (down to Kapachira Falls). Includes: upper Shire, Lake Malombe, Lilongwe, Dwangwa, Songwe, Ruhuhu, crater lake Rungwe (Lake Kiungululu, Lake Masoko, Lake Ikapu) |
