The Food Chain of Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria’s food web is built on several trophic levels:

• Phytoplankton – Microscopic algae that form the base, drifting in sunlit waters.
• Zooplankton – Tiny animals (rotifers, daphnia) that graze on phytoplankton.
• Small fish – Sardines and haplochromine cichlids that feed on zooplankton and invertebrates.
• Large fish – Nile perch and tigerfish that prey on smaller fish.
• Birds – Cormorants, pelicans, and other piscivorous birds.
• Humans – Fishermen who harvest fish for food and livelihood.

This relatively simple chain underscores the lake’s ecological and economic importance to the millions who depend on it.