Salp-predator
Guides
Phronima
Phronima is a genus of small, deep-sea hyperiid amphipods found throughout the world's oceans except polar regions. These semitransparent pelagic crustaceans are technically parasitoids rather than parasites: females attack salps, hollow out their gelatinous tunicates to create protective 'barrels,' and rear their young inside these structures. The genus possesses extraordinary compound eyes adapted to detect blue-green wavelengths, enabling navigation in dim mid-ocean environments where bioluminescence serves as critical ecological signals. Phronima has gained cultural recognition as a possible inspiration for the Alien Queen design in the 1986 film 'Aliens.'
Sapphirina
Sea Sapphires
Sapphirina is a genus of marine planktonic copepods in the family Sapphirinidae, commonly known as sea sapphires. Males exhibit striking iridescent structural coloration ranging from gold to deep blue, produced by multilayered guanine crystal plates beneath the dorsal cuticle. Females are translucent and lack this coloration. The genus comprises specialized predators of pelagic tunicates (salps), with some species exhibiting a complex life history involving both parasitic and predatory phases.