Calanus® is a decapod (10 legged) free swimming zooplankton that are instantly recognised by their intense blood-orange colouration. This colouration stems from the extremely high levels of astaxanthin and other carotenoids stored within the Calanus® body.

Calanus® is the “engine” of the eco-system in the Atlantic Ocean constituting a complete blend of essential components required by fish and other sea life including corals and invertebrates. These components are of vital importance for the healthy growth and development of larval and juvenile fish and shrimps. Calanus® are harvested in spring when they rise to the surface layers of the North Atlantic Ocean to feed on phytoplankton.

The Calanus® are harvested using patented harvesting technology and quickly frozen on board the vessel to ensure the product is of premium quality when it reaches the end user. As the Calanus® is frozen immediately upon harvest it is more nutritious than many collected live plankton organisms as they can quickly lose their nutritional values if they are not feeding between harvest and aquarium use. Experimental tests have indicated that the Calanus® are highly beneficial to the immune system of aquatic life therefore providing greatly improved survival rates. Calanus® contain very high levels of the famed fatty acids EPA, DHA and SDA the latter of which is surprisingly of plant origin and is present also in plankton algae and certain terrestrial plants.