Facts about Krill
- 10
Approximately 500 million tonnes of krill biomass exists in Antarctic waters, representing the largest animal biomass concentration on Earth by total weight.
- 09
Fishing fleets harvest approximately 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes of Antarctic krill annually, making them the most commercially exploited crustacean species globally.
- 08
Most krill species undergo daily vertical migrations of up to 1,000 meters, descending to dark deep waters at dawn and ascending to surface layers at dusk to feed on phytoplankton.
- 07
Bioluminescent light organs called photophores line the ventral surface of most krill species, allowing them to produce counterillumination that masks their silhouettes from predators hunting below.
- 06
A single Antarctic krill can live up to 6 years in the wild, making them relatively long-lived crustaceans compared to most other small marine organisms.
- 05
During spawning season, female Antarctic krill release up to 10,000 eggs per reproductive cycle, with larvae developing through 13 distinct molting stages before reaching adulthood.
- 04
At roughly 2 centimeters long, individual krill are small enough to filter-feed on phytoplankton smaller than their own body width.
- 03
Krill hearts pump hemocyanin-based blood through their bodies, enabling them to survive in oxygen-poor deep waters where they migrate during daylight hours.
- 02
Antarctic krill convert roughly 10 times their body weight in phytoplankton into biomass annually, making them crucial energy transfer organisms in Southern Ocean food webs.
- 01
The Antarctic krill species Euphausia superba can form swarms containing up to 30,000 individuals per cubic meter of ocean water.