Krill anatomy explained, using Euphausia superba as a model The gills of krill are externally visible Krill are crustaceans and, like all crustaceans, they have a chitinous exoskeleton. They have anatomy similar to a standard decapod with their bodies made up of three parts: the cephalothorax is composed of the head and the thorax, which are fused, and the abdomen, which bears the ten swimming ...
Krill are also an important food source for many fish species, including cod, herring, and salmon. Krill as Prey Krill are an important food source for many marine animals. Baleen whales, such as the humpback and blue whale, consume large quantities of krill during the feeding season. Penguins and seals also rely on krill as a primary food source.
As a keystone species, Antarctic krill provide the basis of the diet for most marine mammals and seabirds and play a critical role in drawing down and storing vast quantities of carbon in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill are also economically important, as they are the focus of the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean.
Krill, any member of the crustacean order Euphausiacea or of the genus Euphausia within that suborder. Euphausiids are shrimplike marine animals that are pelagic in habit (i.e., they live in the open sea). They differ from true shrimp (order Decapoda) in that their gills are located on the swimming
Krill may be tiny, but they exist in huge numbers worldwide, provide an essential link in the marine food chain, and even help regulate global climate.
Find out why these tiny animals have enormous importance in the ocean's food chain. Hear about the threats that could collapse krill populations.