Lake Tanganyika is located in the great rift basin of east central Africa.  Tanganyika is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the world at 32,900 km2.  The maximum depth is 1453 m -worlds' second deepest lake-, pH 9.0, and average surface temperature is 22-26 C.  The mostly endemic cichlid fauna contains over 200 species.  The remote location and sometimes volatile political climate of surrounding countries continuously obstruct research and collection of new species.