Amphipod

Gammariid amphipods are the dominant fauna at the underside of Arctic sea ice. Amphipods are consumed by Arctic cod and Arctic birds and seals. They occur in abundances of <5 to >100 individuals per square meter.

The group ranges from carnivorous to herbivorous in feeding preferences, sometimes acting as scavengers on dead or detrital material, or even feeding on plankton. Relatively little is known about their ecology and distribution records are rare despite a presumed pan-arctic distribution for most ice species. They are thought to have a multi-year life cycle in the Arctic. (Arctic Ocean Diversity)

Photo Credit: Apherusa glacialis by Bluhm UAF/CoML, (n.d.). http://www.arcodiv.org/seaice/amphipods/Apherusa_glacialis.html. Licenced with Educational Use.