Gnathophausia zoea is a species of lophogastrid crustacean. It is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic Circle to the Equator; in the Pacific Ocean, it is more restricted to tropical areas. The adults may reach long, excluding the rostrum, or around including the rostrum.
This species has also been known as: Gnathophausia cristata Illig, 1906 (synonym); Gnathophausia sarsii Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891 (synonym) and Gnathophausia willemoesii G.O. Sars, 1883 (synonym).