Across the entire animal kingdom, no other species surpasses the sunfish in relative growth

    by SerafinZufferey

    16 Comments

    1. SerafinZufferey on

      A sunfish starts at about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08–0.12 inches) in length. The larva weighs only around 5 milligrams (0.00018 ounces). One female can lay up to 300 million eggs in a single season, more than any other known vertebrate. A large adult reaches about 2500 to 3200 millimeters (98–126 inches, roughly 8–10.5 feet) in length. Its weight increases to roughly 1000 to 2000 kilograms (2200–4400 pounds). This represents a size increase of about 1000 to 1250 times in length. The weight increases by a factor of around 200 to 400 million compared to the larva. Juveniles can gain up to 800–1000 grams (1.76–2.2 pounds) per day, an unprecedented rate relative to body size. The adult sunfish’s brain weighs only about 60 grams (2.1 ounces), tiny compared to its massive body. These numbers are extreme but well documented.

    2. Toxic-and-Chill on

      Well if you’re gonna put a qualifier like “animal kingdom” I guess pretty impressive

    3. Pretty good. I’d argue caterpillar to butterfly may surpass this growth, almost becoming a different species

    4. Salute-Major-Echidna on

      I came out of the ocean once with a couple of these in my bathing suit. Talk about heartbreaking as a child

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