Antarctic Krill
Antarctic Krill
Invertebrate
Antarctic krill are small, shrimp-like creatures that gather in swarms so vast they can be seen from space, feeding the whales, seals, and penguins of the Southern Ocean.
💡 Fun Facts
- Tiny crustacean that is the foundation of the Antarctic food web.
- They swarm in groups so large they can be seen from space.
Name Story
Euphausia superba
means “The magnificent shining one”
What does its name mean?
- Euphausia — brightly shiningGreek eu 'well' + phausis 'a shining'
- superba — magnificent, superbLatin
These tiny shrimp-like creatures carry their own lights — they glow in the dark — and gather in some of the largest swarms of any animal on the planet: magnificent and shining, just as the name says.