What kind of fish do penguins like to eat? How much protection do penguins have?

Penguins play an important role in the food chain of the Southern Ocean as predators. They have black backs and white bellies. The main differences between species are the head color and individual size. Although they can hunt in the sea, they are not aquatic animals. Do you know why? Open the following content to find out!

Contents of this article

1. What kind of fish do penguins like to eat?

2. Are penguins animals that live in water?

3. How protected are penguins?

What fish do penguins like to eat?

Penguins feed on marine zooplankton, mainly Antarctic krill, and sometimes also prey on some brachiopods, squids and small fish. Penguins have a good appetite, and each penguin can eat an average of 0.75 kg of food per day, mainly Antarctic krill. Therefore, penguins play an important role in the Southern Ocean food chain as predators. Penguins prey on about 33.17 million tons of krill in Antarctica, accounting for 90% of the total consumption of Antarctic birds, which is equivalent to half of the krill consumed by whales.

Are penguins animals that live in water?

Penguins can hunt in the water, but they are not animals that live in water.

Penguins have their own unique structure: The density of penguin feathers is three to four times greater than that of birds of the same size. The function of feathers is to regulate body temperature. Although penguin feet are basically the same as other flying birds, their bones are hard, short and flat. This feature, combined with short wings like paddles, allows penguins to fly underwater. The salt glands on the eyes can excrete excess salt. Penguins can see things underwater and on the surface of the water because of their flat corneas. The eyes can transmit images to the brain for telescopic integration to produce a telescopic effect. However, penguins usually nest on land and are land-dwelling animals.

Penguins are protected animals

Penguins are world-class protected animals.

Penguins, known as the "ships of the sea", are one of the oldest swimming birds. They may have settled in Antarctica before the earth was covered with ice. There are 18 species of penguins in the world, most of which are distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. They mainly live in the Southern Hemisphere and belong to the order Sphenisciformes and family Sphenisciidae.

Penguins are characterized by being unable to fly, having feet at the bottom of their bodies, so they stand upright, having webbed toes, walking on their own feet, and having fin-shaped forelimbs. They have short feathers to reduce friction and turbulence, and a layer of air between their feathers to keep them warm. They have black backs and white bellies. The main differences between the species are the head color and individual size.