Kingdom Animalia Order Sphenisciformes Scientific name Eudyptula Mass Little penguin: 1.5 kg Phylum Chordata | Subphylum Vertebrata Family Spheniscidae Lifespan Little penguin: 6 years Higher classification Spheniscinae | |
Genus Eudyptula
Bonaparte, 1856 Height Little penguin: 30 – 33 cm Similar Little penguin, Penguin, Bird, Megadyptes, Crested penguin | ||
The genus Eudyptula ("good little diver") contains two species of penguin, found in southern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. They are commonly known as the little penguin, little blue penguin, or fairy penguin. In the language of the Māori people of New Zealand, little blue penguins are known as kororaa.
For many years, a white-flippered form of the little blue penguin found only in the South Island of New Zealand was considered either a separate species, Eudyptula albosignata, or just a subspecies, Eudyptula minor albosignata. Analysis of mtDNA revealed that Eudyptula fell instead into two groups: a western one, found in Australia and Otago, New Zealand, and another found in the rest of New Zealand. These two groups are now considered full species, Eudyptula novaehollandiae in Australia and Otago and Eudyptula minor elsewhere. E. novaehollandiae probably arrived in New Zealand less than 500 years ago, following the local extinction of E. minor in Otago.
Classification
Order Sphenisciformes
