Understanding penguin families
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One family, six living genera, and an evolving species list.
The penguin family
Living penguins belong to the family Spheniscidae. The familiar living genera are Aptenodytes, Pygoscelis, Spheniscus, Eudyptula, Megadyptes, and Eudyptes. A genus groups closely related species: emperors and kings, for example, are both members of Aptenodytes.
Why species counts vary
This guide presents the traditional 18-species overview used by the Australian Antarctic Program. Other authorities recognize additional species when populations once grouped together are split. Little penguins, gentoo penguins, and rockhopper penguins are examples where classifications can differ.
Reading a scientific name
A scientific name contains a genus followed by a species name. In Aptenodytes forsteri, Aptenodytes is the genus and forsteri identifies the emperor penguin. Scientific names make it easier to compare information across languages, although even these names can change when relationships are reassessed.
Sources & further reading
This is an introductory guide. Follow these references for research, detailed species information, and current assessments.
Penguins — Australian Antarctic Program ↗ Penguin taxonomy and references — Wikipedia ↗