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They grow up so fast. One moment your offspring are just eggs. And then two weeks later, you are giving them the “birds and the bees” talk.

At least that’s the case for the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), which can reach sexual maturity just 14 days. That earns the turquoise killifish the title of the fastest maturing vertebrate in the world. 

Killifish eggs are often in an inactive state in dry sediments in Africa and only have a short period of time to mature when it rains—before the puddles dry up. While the fish have been studied extensively in lab conditions, a recent research project aimed to document the shortest possible maturation time in natural conditions. 

We guessed that some populations of this species could achieve very rapid growth and sexual maturation under particular conditions,” said head researcher Martin Reichard of the Czech Academy of Sciences. 

So when you’re blown away at just how fast your kids grow up, just be grateful they aren’t the turquoise killifish.