About Krill

Classification:

- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Crustacea
- Order: Euphausiacea
- Genus: Euphausia

Identification: Look like small prawns, up to 60 mm long, can weigh over a gram as adults, five pairs of swimming legs, large black eyes, occur in vast swarms which can colour the water red

Krill are a shrimp-like crustacean, about 2-3 inches (4-6 cm) long. The main species of krill in Antarctica is Euphausia superba , but there are also ten other types.The name "krill" is derived from an ancient Norweigan word that once applied to larval fish and other tiny marine creatures. Today krill in Norwegian means whale food and Euphausia superba is almost the sole diet of the baleen whales in the Antarctic.

The behavior of krill is fascinating. Krill either swim forward by using their five pairs of rear paddle-shaped legs or propel themselves quickly backwards using their tails. They feed using a further six pairs of forward legs, each of which is split into two branches and covered with a net-like array of feathery seta. These are used to gather tiny diatoms - the single-celled plants they graze upon. Unlike most zooplankton, krill are heavier than seawater: to stay in one place they must constantly paddle, as though treading water.

Antarctic krill spawn mainly in the summer months and adult females are able to lay between two and three thousand eggs twice a year. These sink and hatch at depths of 2300 feet (750 m). As the larva grow they gradually rise towards the surface, taking two to three years to mature. Krill live at least two and possibly up to five years. As adults, they gather in huge swarms near the surface of the ocean, which is one of the reasons why they can be easily fished. The krill are also concentrated in particular areas around the continent often associated with eddies or gyres (up wellings of nutrient-rich bottom-water).

There is a marked seasonal cycle of vertical movement in the sea in krill as part of their growth pattern. In winter they graze on algae growing on the underside of the pack-ice. The krill also have a daily cycle. At night they rise to the surface but sink again during the daylight hours. Krill are extremely rich in protein which makes them attractive for commercial harvesting.

A healthy diet requires a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats (and oils), fibre and minerals, as well as other nutriens. Nutricionally Antarctic Krill (Euphasia Superba) appears to be a food appropriated for inclusion in a healthy diet: it contains equal proportions of poliunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids; with the last-mentioned accounting for less than 6% of the total energy content, and it has a high protein content ( 63,7% of dry weight of the meat).

Krill is natural source of Astaxanthine (caratenoids) concentration from 1500 ppm.

The cholesterol level of the Antarctic Krill is low (ca.30 mg per 100g) while the level of poliunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series (principally octodecatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), is high (1.47g per 100g). The total polyunsaturated fatty acid level is similar to that of tuna, salmon, anchovies and herring.

Mineral content of the Antarctic Krill: Calcium, Phosphoros and Magnesium necessary to the organism as well as agregates of oligoelements: Selencium, Zinc, Manganese, Iron, Iodine and Fluorine of Great biological value, also containing numerous vitamins: Vitamin A, C, D, E and B complex.