The Food Chain | ||
| phytoplankton--> | krill--> | squid or fish--> |
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| The Emperor Penguin--> | leopard seal--> | killer whale |
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Just like every other animal on the planet the emperor interacts with its environment. The emperor occupies a place in a food chain and is part of the Antarctic food web. The emperor has to eat to live and is in turn eaten by predators looking for a large meal.
The Food Chain | ||
| phytoplankton--> | krill--> | squid or fish--> |
|
|
|
| The Emperor Penguin--> | leopard seal--> | killer whale |
|
|
|
Since the emperor penguin is a coastal bird and only breeds on land, it is part of the marine or aquatic food chain. At the base of this food chain are phytoplankton and diatoms, tiny creatures whose photosynthesis creates the basis for all marine food chains (with a couple of exceptions). The phytoplankton are consumed by krill who are, in turn, consumed by the squid and fish on which the emperor penguins feed. The krill also provide food for the large humpbacked whale that resides in the antartic seas although further to the north. The emperor penguin's main predators are the leopard seal and occasionally the killer whale who, incidentally, also feeds on the leopard seal. Due to its large size, the penguin is not the prey of smaller creatures, however, their young are especially vulnerable during the first few weeks at sea.