· Water Creatures
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

The Niger River Delta is one of the largest deltas in the world. It lies at the crossroads of two distinct types of habitat for African fish.  

Water Creatures

Explore lakes, mangroves, and swamps of the Niger River Delta and you may find yourself face to face with West African manatees, hippopotamuses, and rare pygmy hippos, all munching on the lush vegetation. Spot-necked and swamp otters may splash nearby, and at least 150 fish species swim in this rich ecoregion. Some fish, such as the denticle herring and the hingemouth, are found only in Africa.

Special Features

The Niger River is the third longest river in the world, stretching 2,610 miles (4,200 km) from Guinea through Mali and into Nigeria. The river flows through diverse terrain from its headwaters in the Fouta Djalon mountains down through the vast floodplain of the Inner Niger Delta and finally to the Niger Delta. From there it empties into the Gulf of Guinea. But before it reaches that point, the Niger breaks into several smaller rivers. These fingers of water nourish the Niger River Delta with mineral-rich soil and support habitat for a large number of species.

	Hippopotamuses aren't only great swimmers, but ancient ones. They evolved more than five million years ago and at one time lived in lakes and rivers throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. Hippopotamuses swim surprisingly fast and can hold their breath under water for up to 10 minutes.

Wild Side

The delta is extremely rich, with upwards of 150 species of fish -- many of which support an extremely productive fishery. Among the many fish in the delta are the only members of the denticle herring (Denticipidae) and hingemouth (Phractolaemidae) fish families. These two families each have only one species in them and are found only in Africa. One of these fish, Phractolaemus ansorgii, has a swim bladder that functions as a lung and permits it to survive in unoxygenated waters by breathing air at the surface. Spot-necked and swamp otters romp on sandbars and hunt in the marsh areas. The lower Niger River is a stronghold for the rare West African manatee, which feeds on overhanging vegetation, mangroves, and other aquatic vegetation in the delta. And all the thick, lush vegetation makes good eating for large hippopatamuses and their smaller relatives, rare pygmy hippos.

Cause for Concern

The delta system is highly threatened by oil spills and other consequences of oil exploration. Other threats include coastal urbanization, industrialization, domestic and industrial waste discharges, coastal erosion, problems associated with aquaculture, and crowding out of native species by the invasive water hyacinth.

Looking Ahead

The concentration of oil and gas fields within the Niger Delta is one of the highest in Africa. Many small spills have occurred in the region, and the threat of a large oil or gas spill to the rich aquatic biodiversity of the delta is of great concern. The human population of the delta is growing at a rate of about three percent a year. This increase, combined with a growing oil industry, is the biggest threat to this ecoregion.