Emperor penguins are near the top of the Southern Ocean’s food chain. They have a varied menu that changes with the season. Some prey items are more important than others. One of the most frequently eaten prey species is the Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum. They also eat other fish, Antarctic krill and some species of squid. Most prey items are small. Since they are very cold when ingested, their small size makes it easier to bring food up to body temperature to digest it.
