Having multiple babies is not uncommon in the animal kingdom. However, there are species which hold the record for producing a huge number of children in one go.
1. Ocean Sunfish: 300 million
Also known as common mola, the ocean sunfish is one of the largest bony fish in the world. This 5,000-pound foraging predator is also a heavyweight egg producer as it releases up to 300 million eggs over a spawning season. However, little is known about the parental investment of offspring in this species of bony fish.
2. African Driver Ant: 3 - 4 million
In the world of insects, the African driver ant is considered to be the most generous of all when it comes to reproduction. Also known as dorylus, this large genus of army ants from central and east Africa can produce 3,000,000 - 4,000,000 eggs every 25 days.
3. Atlantic Sturgeon: 2 million
Atlantic sturgeon is a species of anadromous fish which live in rivers and coastal waters of Canada and Florida. After being hatched in freshwater, they migrate to the sea as sub-adults, and then return to the rivers to spawn or lay eggs. In female Atlantic sturgeon, egg production correlates with age and body size. They can release eggs ranging from 400,000 to 2 million.
4. Red Sea Urchins: 2 million
Red sea urchins are one of the largest of their kind and are mostly found in Alaska, northern Japan, and Baja California. These globular echinoderms are known for being broadcast spawners which engage in external fertilization. Female red sea urchin can produce 100,000 - 2,000,000 eggs into the water where they are fertilized.
5. Seahorses: 2,500
In seahorses, the fathers are the ones who actually give birth while the mothers insert their eggs into a male's brood pouch. The gestation period usually lasts from 2 - 4 weeks, after which a huge number of baby seahorses are ejected into the surrounding water.
The total number of offspring produced at one time depends on the species of seahorse. For most species, there is an average of 100-1000 babies released by the father. For some, it could be as low as 5 or as high as 2,500.
6. Axolotl: 300
Axolotl is a type of salamander named after the Aztec god of fire and lightning. This paedomorphic amphibian is known for its external gills which are permanently retained from its larval stage.
Female axolotl can lay up to a thousand eggs, although the average is around 300. The eggs are laid on rocks or plant materials in order to get protection from predators. After two weeks, the eggs hatch without receiving parental care, leaving the larvae swimming on their own.
7. Tailless Tenrec
This animal belongs to a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the first known tropical mammal which hibernates for long periods of time without waking up. Aside from this, it also holds the record for having the largest broods among mammals, capable of giving birth to a litter of 32 babies.
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