A new cichlid fish in the Sahara: The Ounianga Serir lakes (Chad), a biodiversity hotspot in the desert

A previously undescribed cichlid fish, Astatotilapia tchadensis, has been discovered in Lake Boukou, part of the Ounianga Serir lakes in Chad, a UNESCO-listed desert landscape. This new species, characterized by distinctive features such as black bars, orange spots on its anal fin, and unique pharyngeal dentition, highlights the remarkable biodiversity of these lakes, which are sustained by subsurface groundwater inflow. The discovery underscores the Ounianga Serir lakes as a critical hotspot for vertebrate diversity in one of the world's most arid regions, with at least six fish species belonging to three families thriving in this extreme environment.

Trape, S. (2016). A new cichlid fish in the Sahara: The Ounianga Serir lakes (Chad), a biodiversity hotspot in the desert. Comptes Rendus. Biologies, 339(11-12), 529–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2016.08.003