Barombi Koto
| Barombi Koto | ||
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| The Barombi Koto is at the bottom left, the larger lake in the middle is the Barombi Mbo , the small one at the top left is the Dissoni Lake . ( NASA satellite photo ) | ||
| Geographical location | Region Sud-Ouest , Cameroon | |
| Tributaries | Tung Nsuia and Tung Nsuria | |
| Drain | Nkundung-Kotto, a tributary of the Meme | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 4 ° 28 ′ 0 ″ N , 9 ° 16 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 100 m | |
| surface | 3.3 km² | |
| length | 1.2 km | |
| Maximum depth | 6 m | |
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particularities |
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The Barombi Koto is a small, shallow crater lake in the Sud-Ouest region of Cameroon .
location
It is located about 30 km northeast of the Cameroon Mountain about 100 meters above sea level. The circular lake has two small tributaries that dry up in the dry season, the Tung Nsuia and the Tung Nsuria. The only outflow is the Nkundung-Kotto, a tributary of the Meme River , which flows into the Atlantic just east of the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. The rim of the crater rises up to 50 meters above the water level, part is forested, but most of it is cultivated. The residents mainly grow plantains , cocoa and cassava . Immigrants from Nigeria live on the south and west coasts of the lake, while fishermen speak Barombi on the island in the middle of the lake . The bottom of the lake is sandy, partly stony and covered by sunken parts of plants.
It is not to be confused with the Barombi Mbo, 25 km northeast , which drains into the Mungo .
flora
Phytoplankton that thrive intensely make the water green-brown. Among the phytoplankton are the diatom Melosira , the cyanobacteria Microcystis and Spirulina , the green algae Ankistrodesmus , Pediastrum duplex and Scenedesmus , the dinoflagellates Peridinium and the ornamental algae Staurastrum . The viewing depth is less than 80 cm. Higher aquatic plants have not yet been found.
fauna
The lake's zooplankton consists of tufted mosquito larvae , copepods , mussel crabs , rotifers and freshwater mites . Mosquito and dragonfly larvae live on the leaves that have fallen into the water and the bottom of the lake is colonized by mayfly larvae , little bristles , roundworms , freshwater mites, mussel crabs, giant bugs , water beetles and freshwater crabs. The intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis are also of the poppy snails of the genus Bulinus . Sponges are rare.
The fish fauna of Lake Barombi Koto consists of the following ways: the Clipper Barb ( Enteromius callipterus ), the catfish Clarias werneri , the five spots cichlid ( Hemichromis fasciatus ), Sarotherodon galilaeus , spotted tilapia , the endemic coptodon kottae and Chromidotilapia guentheri loennbergi an endemic subspecies of Günther's magnificent perch . In the tributaries of the Barombi Koto, the multi-colored splendor ( Aphyosemion bitaeniatum ) and Oeser's splendor ( Fundulopanchax oeseri ) live.
The only amphibian in the lake is the tropical clawed frog ( Silurana tropicalis ).
Birds that live on the shores of the lake and feed mainly or partly on fish are: Little Grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), Reed Scarlet ( Phalacrocorax africanus ), African Darter ( Anhinga rufa ), Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea ), Great Egret ( Ardea alba ) , Hagedasch ( Bostrychia hagedash ), Black Milan ( Milvus migrans ), Graufischer ( Ceryle rudis ), giant Fischer ( Megaceryle maxima ), shining-blue kingfisher ( Alcedo quadribrachys ), Malachite Kingfisher ( Alcedo cristata ) and the Palm Geier ( Gypohierax mohair ), which not only Palm fruits, but now and then also eats fish.
See also
swell
- SA Corbet, JJ Green, J. Griffith & E. Betney (1973): Ecological studies on crater lakes in West Cameroon Lakes Kotto and Mboandong. Journal of Zoology 170: 309-324 PDF