|
Lake Titicaca is the only recognized South American ancient lake and probably of Pliocene origin. The lake, characterized by a bipartite basin, is well known for its endemic taxa belonging to the Amphipoda, Mollusca, and Ostracoda, as well as for its economically important fish fauna.
| Age (my) |
2–3 |
| Biogeographical area |
Andean-Patagonean subregion |
| Surface area (km2) |
8,562 |
| Altitude (m asl) |
3,810 |
| Maximum depth (m) |
281 |
| Mean depth (m) |
107 |
| Catchment area (km2) |
56,270 |
| Number of species* |
533 |
| Number of endemic species* |
61 |
| Key endemic taxa |
Amphipoda, Gastropoda, Ostracoda |
Suggested readings:
*from Martens, 1997
|
|
(click to enlarge)
Reed belt in Lake Titicaca (photograph: O. Kroll).
(click to enlarge)
Hyalella sp. of Lake Titicaca with characteristic dorsal spines (photograph: T. Hauffe).
(click to enlarge)
Heleobia mirum (Haas, 1957), a member of the Heleobia species-flock. This flock shows remarkable character states such as keeled or scalariform shells and spiraliform operculae (photograph: O. Kroll).
|
|
