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Amphipods are crustaceans—the group of animals that also includes crabs, copepods and krill. Some species of amphipods live on the ocean bottom, scavenging food. These can reach several inches long. Other smaller species live further up in the water, swimming freely and catching smaller zooplankton for food. Some are bright red, are often very abundant, and are a good food source for fish and penguins. Hitching a ride on the jellies: many species of amphipods, such as this one, named Vibilia, live their lives as parasites inside different kinds of gelatinous animals: jellyfish, ctenophores, and salps. They may eat their host’s tissues, or they may just steal the host’s food before it has a chance to swallow it!Kingdom: Animalia
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