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A catch of krill

Image A catch of krill

TLF ID M008775

This is a colour photograph of a mass of krill that have been captured in the closed end (or codend) of a trawling net. Krill are small marine crustaceans with a pink shrimp-like appearance and prominent black eyes. They swim in large swarms in the water for protection. Antarctic krill ('Euphausia superba') are the species of krill found in the Antarctic oceans in largest quantities.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • Krill are small shrimp-like animals that are found in most oceans of the world. They belong to the Crustacea, which is the group of animals that also includes crabs, crayfish and prawns. Krill feed directly on phytoplankton, which are microscopic, usually single-celled, plants found in the ocean. Phytoplankton photosynthesise to produce food using the Sun's energy.
  • Krill are vital to the Antarctic food chain because they consume phytoplankton and convert this food source into a form that is usable by larger consumers such as penguins and other sea birds, seals and baleen whales. Some animals such as baleen whales have developed a special feeding apparatus in order to harvest krill effectively. A decline in krill numbers affects these other species significantly.
  • Krill are filter feeders. Their legs form a 'basket' that sieves the tiny phytoplankton and zooplankton (microscopic animals) into their mouths as they move through the water. Krill can also scrape algae from under ice sheets.
  • The marine ecosystem is one of the two main interconnected global food webs of which all species are a part. Krill occupy an important intermediate position in this food web, as they consume the producers that fix (photosynthesise) the Sun’s energy and then provide food for higher order consumers.
Topics Krill
Learning area
  • Science

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: University of Waikato
  • Organization: University of Waikato
  • Description: content provider
  • Address: NEW ZEALAND
  • URL: http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz
  • Publisher
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organization: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Generic
Learning Resource Type
  • Image
Rights
  • © Education Services Australia Ltd 2011 (except where otherwise indicated). You may copy, communicate and adapt this metadata for non-commercial educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material.