Luminous Marine Life
Antarctic Krill

It may be tiny, but the Antarctic krill plays an absolutely massive role in the planet’s ecosystem. Just 6 centimetres in length and weighing no more than 2 grams, the vital little crustacean lights up the third coin in the Luminous Marine Life series.

The Antarctic krill is so important because it is one of the most abundant animal species on Earth and forms the nutritional basis of many other marine animals in Antarctica, including whales, fish, seals, penguins and other seabirds. If the Antarctic krill is doing well, other species are doing well, too. Krill themselves feed mainly on diatoms and other plant plankton that they collect on thin bristles on their front legs. In spring, their favourite food consists of microalgae that grow on the underside of drift ice.

Antarctic krill emit light through bioluminescent organs located in different parts of the body, including the eyestalk and hips. The organs have a concave reflector and a lens that guides the light, which is so highly developed it can be compared to that of a torch.

Coin motif

When the special UV torch is shone on the coins’ reverse, the Antarctic krill stands out clearly in the centre, its shell shimmering yellow-orange and legs light blue. The krill is framed by a wide band, reminiscent of an old-fashioned porthole, that frames the aquatic scene on the coin’s reverse. As on all the coins in the series, a shell and a starfish can be seen to the left and below. All 12 of the magical sea creatures in the Luminous Marine Life series are shown in silhouette on the coin’s obverse. Air bubbles up between them and a tail fin disappears beneath the waves to the right.

2023 Antarctic krill (PDF | 869.90 KB)