Antarctic krill

Antarctic Krill

Antarctic krill are tiny sea creatures that live in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. They are a special kind of krill and grow up to about 6 centimetres long. These little crustacean friends are very important for many animals that live in the Antarctic.

Antarctic krill eat tiny plants called phytoplankton. These plants get their energy from the sun. By eating these plants, krill help give energy to many other animals that depend on them for food. Even though they are small, there are lots of krill in the Antarctic, making them a big part of the ocean’s ecosystem.

Krill have a special way of having babies. They lay eggs mostly from January to March. These eggs grow while they sink in the ocean. After a few weeks, the eggs hatch into tiny babies called larvae. These young krill move toward the surface and grow bigger over time. It takes two to three years for krill to become adults.

Antarctic krill can glow in the dark! They have special parts on their bodies that shine a yellow-green light for a few seconds. Scientists think these lights might help hide the krill from animals that want to eat them. Krill can also move very quickly to escape danger by flipping their bodies and swimming backward fast.