What ecological catastrophe occurred when the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) was introduced into Lake Victoria in East Africa?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Led to extinction of over 200 endemic cichlid fish species in Lake Victoria

  1. Step 1: The introduction of invasive alien species into naive ecosystems often causes severe ecological disruption.
  2. Step 2: The Nile perch, a large predatory freshwater fish, was intentionally introduced into Lake Victoria in the 1950s for commercial fishing.
  3. Step 3: As an apex predator, it rapidly multiplied and decimated native fish populations, leading to the catastrophic extinction of over 200 endemic species of cichlid fishes, destroying one of the world's most famous evolutionary radiations.
Answer
It preyed upon and led to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 endemic species of cichlid fish
Why not the others: 'It caused massive toxic algal blooms that poisoned all mammals...' is false because the primary impact was direct predation on endemic cichlids; 'It hyper-accumulated heavy metals and rendered water radioactive...' is scientifically unfounded; 'It converted the freshwater lake into a salt flat...' is physically impossible.

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