Black prince copepod
Gaussia princeps
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Deep sea
- Relatives
- Other copepods; Order: Calanoida
- Diet
- Smaller crustaceans and other zooplankton
- Range
- From 500 to 3,600 ft. (150–1,100 m) in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
- Size
- To 0.5 inches (1.2 cm) total length
Meet the black prince copepod
How far would you go for a meal? This tiny crustacean feeds in shallower waters, where food is more abundant. It makes its marathon commute overnight, when darkness offers cover from predators. Before sunrise, it returns home to the midwater.
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