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Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica) is a species of krill that lives in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is an important component of the zooplankton, providing food for whales, seals, fish and birds. (In the Southern Ocean, Antarctic krill Euphausia superba fills a similar role.) M. norvegica is the only species recognised in the genus Meganyctiphanes.

The morphology of M. norvegica (Northern krill) was first described by M. Sars (1857) as follows:

"Whitish translucent, spotted above with red. Cephalothorax equalling a third to three-eighths of the whole body in length; with the forehead very short and truncated, not reaching the slender stalks of the very large eyes, with the median anterior edge angular (rostrum rudimentary), with a sharp spine on both sides of the triangle….only seven pairs of gills with none on the first pair of feet."

Historically, much of what we have learnt about Northern krill has been obtained through the deployment and analysis of trawled-nets. Net sampling remains the standard method with which to determine the size-structure of krill populations and to obtain specimens for incubation and experimentation.