Dec 11, 2025
Just another tiny deep-sea bestie 🥰
From icy polar zones to the darkest ocean depths, these miniature wonders can thrive in habitats where few other animals can survive. Amphipods are crustaceans often mistaken for tiny shrimp. They resemble shrimp in some ways, but they are laterally compressed and have no carapace. Despite their diminutive size—most species grow no bigger than your fingernail—amphipods power ocean food webs in a big way by serving as prey for countless species of fishes, invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, and more. Amphipods are mostly detritivores (eating decomposing plant and animal parts, as well as feces) and scavengers.
