# What Do Emperor Penguins Eat?

> What emperor penguins eat: Carnivore (fish, krill, squid), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Antarctic sea ice and surrounding ocean.

- **Species:** Emperor Penguin (*Aptenodytes forsteri*)
- **Conservation status:** Near Threatened
- **Diet:** Carnivore (fish, krill, squid)
- **Habitat:** Antarctic sea ice and surrounding ocean
- **Lifespan:** ~20 years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/emperor-penguin/what-do-emperor-penguin-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/emperor-penguin/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest penguin species, standing up to 1.2 m (4 ft). It is the only animal that breeds during the brutal Antarctic winter, where males incubate a single egg on their feet through months of darkness and temperatures below -40°C. Emperor penguins live around 20 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Breeding in the cold

Emperor penguins are the only species that breeds during the Antarctic winter. After the female lays a single egg, she returns to the sea to feed while the male balances the egg on his feet under a flap of skin for about two months, fasting the entire time.

## Help protect the Emperor Penguin

The emperor penguin is listed as Near Threatened, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/emperor-penguin/what-do-emperor-penguin-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.