What Are Gentoo Penguins' Relatives?

The gentoo penguin is one of just 17 different penguin species worldwide. Standing at around 30 inches tall, the gentoo is native to the Antarctic waters and areas at the very tip of South America. Among the other 16 penguin species worldwide only two are closely related to the gentoo, but they all belong to the family Spheniscidae.

  1. Adelie Penguins

    • Like their relatives, the gentoo, adelie penguins have to walk miles inland to nesting sites.

      A member of the Pygoscelis or brush-tailed family of penguins, the adelie is closely related to the gentoo. Adelies are found throughout the Antarctic waters and grow to around 27 inches in height and weigh around 8 to 12 lbs. They have black backs and faces, with white rings around the eyes and a pure white stomach. Like the gentoo, they tend to nest far inland on the Antarctic continent, making small nests of rocks.

    Chinstrap Penguin

    • The chinstrap penguin is one of the most common penguins.

      The only other member of the Pygoscelis penguin family is the chinstrap, which is also a close relative of the gentoo. With a worldwide population of over 7 million breeding pairs, the chinstrap is the most widespread of the penguin species. At around 24 inches in height they are a small species and are found throughout the Antarctic waters and the islands in the far southern hemisphere. They have a dark gray to black back with a white face and stomach. A thin black line under the chin gives them their name.

    Small Penguin Species

    • The rockhopper penguins get their name from the way they travel across rocky terrain.

      The little blue is among the smallest of all the penguin breeds, generally growing to between 16 and 17 inches in height. Other species that tend to be under 20 inches tall include the African, Fiordland crested, Galapagos and humboldt penguins. Slightly larger species that can grow to around 2 feet in height include the erect crested, rockhopper, royal, Snares Island and yellow-eyed penguins. All of these penguin species are found in the Southern Hemisphere but some, such as the African, Galapagos and Humboldts are found in warmer coastal waters north of Antarctica.

    Largest Penguins

    • The emperor, with the distinctive yellow markings that help set it apart from its cousin the gentoo, is the largest of the 17 species of penguin.

      At around 40 inches in the height, the emperor penguin is by far the tallest species. Not far behind is its smaller, almost identical, cousin the king, at around 30 inches in height. Both of these species are found nesting on the islands surrounding the Antarctic regions. Other species that grow in excess of 2 feet are the Magellanic, which grows to around 27 inches in height, and the macaroni penguin, which often grows to around 25 inches.