Euphausia superba

Dana, 1850

Krill

Size: 2 inches (5 cm)

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Euphausiacea

Family: Euphausiidae

Genus: Euphausia

FYI: Krill are small, basically translucent crustaceans that have a life span of about seven years. They go through five stages of changes during the three to four years it takes to reach adulthood.

They can go 200 days without food and must continually swim or sink to the bottom.

Swimming in dense clouds, they can sometimes number a half million more or less in one cubic yard. It is estimated there are hundreds of million metric tons of Krill in the Antarctica.

There are 85 species that represent the term "Krill." They are difficult to locate and require processing within a half-hour after capture. Yet, Krill is highly sought after by many nations. But it is the Antarctic species Euphausia superb that the whale feeds upon, and is the most commonly known and utilized species.

Krill is half protein and very high in Vitamin A and is the worlds richest source of pure protein. Dried Krill is fed to many animals, e.g., cattle, fish, and poultry. They also contain high levels of fluoride in their shells and it is difficult to separate shell from flesh.

Due to the processes involved in producing dried and freeze-dried foods their taste and nutritive value is not as good as fresh, live or frozen foods. Therefore, in my opinion, dry food including Krill, should be enhanced with a vitamin/mineral additive. Also, care should be exercised as to the amount fed at any one time. Dry foods begin decaying almost immediately upon contact with water, either leaching vitamins or going to waste.