Dikume
Encyclopedia
The dikume is a critically endangered
species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Barombi-ma-Mbu in western Cameroon
. It is threatened because of pollution
and sedimentation
due to human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide
(CO2) from the lake's bottom (compare Lake Nyos
).
Males can reach about 11,2 cm. Dikume eats mosquito larvae and has high levels of blood haemoglobin, an adaptation to oxygen-poor deep water.
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Barombi-ma-Mbu in western Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. It is threatened because of pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and sedimentation
Siltation
Siltation is the pollution of water by fine particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable...
due to human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
(CO2) from the lake's bottom (compare Lake Nyos
Lake Nyos
Lake Nyos is a crater lake in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, located about northwest of Yaoundé. Nyos is a deep lake high on the flank of an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain along the Cameroon line of volcanic activity...
).
Males can reach about 11,2 cm. Dikume eats mosquito larvae and has high levels of blood haemoglobin, an adaptation to oxygen-poor deep water.
Source
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Konia dikume. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 August 2007.