[1] This highly isolated lake is roughly circular in shape, lacks an inflow, but has an outflow into the Cross River system.

[4] Despite its very small size, it supports nine endemic species of coptodonine cichlid fishes (C. bakossiorum, C. bemini, C. bythobates, C. flava, C. gutturosa, C. imbriferna, C. snyderae, C. spongotroktis, and C.

[4] Later studies indicate a level of secondary gene flow between the Bermin cichlids and Cross River C. guineensis, although it is unclear if this facilitated speciation among the former group.

[6] They are quite similar in their general appearance and morphology but vary greatly in feeding behavior, including specialists like C. spongotroktis that eat pieces of the large sponges that grow in the lake.

[6] All the Bermin cichlids are critically endangered by pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the lake's bottom (compare Lake Nyos),[8][9][10] although Bermin is too shallow to contain very high amounts of this gas.