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[[File:Xanthoria elegans.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
[[File:Antarctic krill.jpg |250px|left]]
'''[[Psychrophiles]]''' are extremophilic organisms that are capable of growth and reproduction in low temperatures, ranging from −20 °C  to +10 °C. They are found in places that are permanently cold, such as [[Antarctica]] and the deep sea. They can be contrasted with thermophiles, which are organisms that thrive at unusually high temperatures. Psychrophile is Greek for 'cold-loving'.
'''[[Antarctic krill]]''' is a species of [[krill]] found in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] waters of the [[Southern Ocean]]. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. It feeds directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their open ocean life cycle.


Many such organisms are bacteria, but some eukaryotes such as [[lichen]]s, snow algae, fungi, and [[Antarctic midge|wingless midge]]s, are also classified as psychrophiles. Psychrophiles are protected from freezing and the expansion of [[ice]] by ice-induced desiccation and vitrification (glass transition), as long as they cool slowly.
It grows to a length of 6 cm, weighs up to 2 grams, and can live for up to six years. It is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and is, in terms of biomass, probably the most abundant animal species on the planet. In 2019, the Antarctic krill was featured on a [[Stamps of Westarctica|stamp of Westarctica]] to celebrate its role as a vital part of the Antarctic ecosystem.


'''([[Psychrophiles|Full Article...]])'''
'''([[Antarctic krill|Full Article...]])'''

Latest revision as of 22:23, 1 January 2026

Antarctic krill.jpg

Antarctic krill is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. It feeds directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their open ocean life cycle.

It grows to a length of 6 cm, weighs up to 2 grams, and can live for up to six years. It is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and is, in terms of biomass, probably the most abundant animal species on the planet. In 2019, the Antarctic krill was featured on a stamp of Westarctica to celebrate its role as a vital part of the Antarctic ecosystem.

(Full Article...)