Themisto gaudichaudii is an amphipod crustacean of the suborder Hyperiidea.
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withAdults in the Antarctic are normally 12–21 millimetres (0.47–0.83 in) long, and normally live for a year, although a few may survive to their second year and reach 28 mm (1.1 in) long. Adults off Southern Africa are smaller, reaching 12 mm (0.47 in).
T. gaudichaudii is the Southern Ocean species of the genus, ranging through the Antarctic region and further north onto Southern Hemisphere continental shelves. In many places, it is the most abundant predator in the plankton, and is often the third-most abundant member of the plankton community, after copepods and krill.
T. gaudichaudii is an important prey item for predators such as the macaroni penguin and icefish, as well as many species of seabirds, notably diving petrels.
