Lake Mai-Ndombe

The May Ndombe Lake (French: Lac Mai- Ndombe ) is a large natural lake in Bandundu province in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The lake drained to the south over the rivers Fimi and Kasai in the Congo. Until 1972 he was named Leopoldsee (after Leopold of Saxe -Coburg- Gotha, King of the Belgians ). May Ndombe means to Lingala " black water ". The lake has an irregular and changing according to season form with an area of ​​2300 to about 8000 km2 ( in the rainy season ) and depths from 2.5 to 7 meters, to a maximum of 10 meters. Its water is acidic, the pH ranges from 2.4 to 5.5.

The lake is surrounded by low, wooded banks, with dense and moist rain forest to the north and a mixture of forest and savanna in the south.

On the lake, local ship traffic and fishing takes place.

Fauna

The fish fauna of the lake is little known. 1984, a previously unknown endemic cichlid, the transvestite cichlid ( Nanochromis transvestitus ) was described, a further Nanochromis wickleri in 2006.