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Group:
Bird
Size:
Adults are typically 60 – 70 cm tall and weigh 2.2 – 4 kg.
Distribution:
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is found along the southwestern coast of Africa, breeding at coastal sites and islands in Namibia and South Africa, including Halifax, Ichaboe, Dassen, Robben, St Croix, and Boulders Beach.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
105.39 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
10.82 kilobases
Assembly N50:
1 200.62 kilobases
Contig number:
2 543
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
Flye
Genome Length:
1.25 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.2% [Single: 98.0%, Duplicated: 1.2%]
BUSCO database:
eukaryota
Importance:
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is an important indicator of ocean health and marine ecosystem change. As a top coastal predator, it helps maintain food web balance and supports ecotourism in southern Africa. Its rapid decline highlights the need for urgent conservation action.
Date Published:
2026-06-03
Photo credit:
© P. Ryan
Fauna
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