Euphausia gibboides

Taxon-Order: 
Euphausiacea

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Distribution: 
Occurs between 40º N-40º S, in the Pacific and Atlantic.
Habitat: 
Adults occur to 300-400 m during the day, near the surface during the night.
Size: 
16 - 30 mm
Diet: 
Microplankton.
Predators: 
Important prey for fish, birds and whales.
Useful Facts or Characters: 

Large round eyes, long sharply pointed rostrum, lappet with forward-curving spine, and 3rd abdominal segment with spine.

Natural History: 

One of the largest epipelagic species of euphausiids in this area and generally more abundant offshore in the California Current.

References: 

http://www.calcofi.org/publications/atlases/CalCOFI_Atlas_24.pdf

Brinton, E. (1962) The distribution of Pacific euphausiids. Bulletin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 8: 51-270.

Knight, M. (1975) The larval development of Pacific Euphausia gibboides (Euphausiacea). Fishery Bulletin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 73: 145-168.