| Antarctic Krill | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Real Life | ||
| Classification | Euphausia superba | ||
| Species type | Krill | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Environment | Southern Ocean | ||
| Intelligence | Non-sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Discovered | 1850 | ||
| Discoverer | James Dwight Dana | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Lifespan | ~6 years | ||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lays eggs | ||
| Average weight | 2 grams (0.071 oz) | ||
| Average length | 6 cm (2.4") | ||
| Locomotion | Oscillating legs | ||
| Feeding behavior | Carnivore | ||
| Prey | Phytoplankton | ||
| Predators | Albatrosses, Baleen Whales, Fur Seals, Icefish, Penguins, Seals, Squid; Crabeater Seal, Leopard Seal, Modern Human | ||
| Distinctive features | Likely most abundant animal on Earth in terms of biomass | ||
| Eye color | Black | ||
| Skin color | Transparent | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | True Neutral | ||
| Organization | Swarms | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Earth | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria (Animals with bilateral symmetry) | ||
| Superphylum | Ecdysozoa (Animals that molt via ecdysis) | ||
| Phylum | Arthropoda | ||
| Subphylum | Crustacea | ||
| Class | Malacostraca | ||
| Subclass | Eumalacostraca (Modern Malacostracans) | ||
| Superorder | Eucarida (Decapods, Krill, and relatives) | ||
| Order | Euphausiacea (Krill) | ||
| Family | Euphausiidae | ||
| Genus | Euphausia | ||
| Species | superba | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Least concern | ||
| First sighting | 1850 | ||
| Possible population | ~300 - 400 trillion | ||
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic metre. It feeds directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their pelagic (open ocean) life cycle. It grows to a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in), weighs up to 2 grams (0.071 oz), and can live for up to six years. It is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and is, in terms of biomass, probably the most abundant animal species on the planet (approximately 500 million tonnes)