Kansombo
kahn-SOHM-boh (approx.)
The atlas records 9 collection-point forms from Kansombo, across 8 genera.
6.9448°S 30.5406°E
Kansombo is a collection point on Tanzania's Lake Tanganyika shore, comprising three named bays — Kansombo Kubwa ("The Large"), Kansombo Kati ("The Medium"), and Kansombo Ndogo ("The Small").
Where it is
Kansombo is on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, in its central third (250 mi south of the lake's northern tip).
Nearest collection points: Kansombo Banks 2.4 mi south-west · Itinilo Rocks 4 mi north-west · Caramba 4.2 mi west
Shore, third and distances are measured from the coordinates above against the lake’s mapped outline.
The water
Lake-wide measured chemistry of Lake Tanganyika — collection points share their lake's water; site-specific figures are shown only where the literature records them.
Nearest measured station: Mpulungu (south basin) (~211 km) — Temperature 24.5 °C · pH 8.9 · Conductivity 662 µS/cm · Visibility (Secchi) 11.9 m
This site
Surface temperature here
Across Apr–Nov, monthly means run 77 °F to 81 °F — coolest in Jul. Measured by satellite 1995–2023: the daily median of clear readings within 10 km of the site (1183 clear days). The rainy-season months are usually too cloudy to measure and are left blank.
Temperature: ESA Climate Change Initiative, Lakes_cci v3.0 (Asfour et al. 2026; doi:10.5285/a56dba09df8a42ec9fba8b8c7a5e1f69). Chemistry on this page remains the lake's own.
The site
The name mostly refers to the rocky stretch between the medium and small bays. The surrounding woodland, about 20 km north of Cape Mpimbwe, is described as turning yellow and red before the leaves fall in the dry season.
Each entry below is the population of that species recorded here — the form aquarists keep and breed as a distinct, provenance-labelled line. Crossing forms from different collection points is considered hybridisation in the hobby.