Question

An octopus reproduces only once in its life, but it may have more than 100,000 offspring, depending on the species. Certain species of penguin, by contrast, have only one chick at a time. If some species can reproduce as rapidly as the octopus (100,000 offspring every 3 or 4 years), how is it possible that a species that has only one young at a time is equally successful?

Answer 1

The case of octopus and penguin can be understood by reading more on the r-k selection theory and the role of parental care.

Octopuses make a lot of offspring. This helps the species of octopus to survive by increasing the chances of a few offspring to survive out of the many. This is an example of r-selection.

Penguin give birth to only one or two chicks at a time. The penguins need to take care of the chicks unlike the octopus to ensure their survival. This is an example of K-selection with a role of the parents in taking care of the chicks.

Thus both the species survive by adopting two different strategies for reproduction.