Conservation
E
Endemic
/ /ɪnˈdɛmɪk/ /
Etymology:
From Greek endemos - "native"
Quick Definition
A species found exclusively in one particular geographic area and nowhere else in the world.
📖 Full Definition
An endemic species is one whose natural range is confined to a specific, defined area — from a single lake to an entire continent. Endemism creates high conservation value and vulnerability: a species endemic to a single lake can be driven to global extinction by a single local event. Lakes Tanganyika, Victoria, and Malawi are world centres of freshwater fish endemism, each with hundreds of endemic cichlid species. Island and isolated cave fish communities also show extreme endemism.
💡 Examples & Context
Lake Baikal in Siberia, the world's deepest lake, is home to approximately 50 endemic fish species found nowhere else on Earth, including the Baikal oil fish (Comephorus baicalensis).