Difference between revisions of "Template:Westarctica.wiki:Today's featured article"

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[[File:Emperor Penguins-Snow Hill Island.jpg|250px|left]]
[[File:Antarctic krill.jpg |250px|left]]
The '''[[emperor penguin]]''' is the tallest and heaviest of all living [[penguin]] species and is endemic to [[Antarctica]]. Like all penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include crustaceans, such as [[krill]], and cephalopods, such as squid.
'''[[Antarctic krill]]''' is a species of [[krill]] found in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] waters of the [[Southern Ocean]]. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. It feeds directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their open ocean life cycle.


The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony. The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age.
It grows to a length of 6 cm, weighs up to 2 grams, and can live for up to six years. It is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and is, in terms of biomass, probably the most abundant animal species on the planet (approximately 500 million tonnes, corresponding to 300 to 400 trillion individuals). In 2019, the Antarctic krill was featured on a [[Stamps of Westarctica|stamp of Westarctica]] to celebrate its role as a vital part of the Antarctic ecosystem.


'''([[emperor penguin|Full Article...]])'''
'''([[Antarctic krill|Full Article...]])'''

Revision as of 00:46, 18 December 2023

Antarctic krill.jpg

Antarctic krill is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. It feeds directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their open ocean life cycle.

It grows to a length of 6 cm, weighs up to 2 grams, and can live for up to six years. It is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and is, in terms of biomass, probably the most abundant animal species on the planet (approximately 500 million tonnes, corresponding to 300 to 400 trillion individuals). In 2019, the Antarctic krill was featured on a stamp of Westarctica to celebrate its role as a vital part of the Antarctic ecosystem.

(Full Article...)