Mother’s Day is here and it’s time to celebrate some awesome aquatic animal moms, in and out of the ocean.

Female octopuses are among the most dedicated mothers in the aquatic ecosystem. The octopus only reproduces once in her life and will lay over 50,000 eggs over the course of about a month! She will gather her eggs, hang them from the roof of her cave and protect them for six months, oftentimes without leaving her den.

The female peacock mantis shrimp is another awesome animal mom! After laying many eggs at a time, they carry the eggs in their front appendages to keep them clean and protect them from potential predators. If a predator approaches, the peacock mantis shrimp will use its signature lightning-fast punching ability to protect her eggs!

Despite their intimidating appearance, female crocodiles also make great moms. During the dry season, females lay about 20 eggs. Before they hatch, hatchlings will make a noise to call to their mom from within their egg. This noise cues the female crocodile to dig a hole into the ground, creating a protective nest. Once they hatch, the mom will closely protect the juveniles and even transport them in her mouth!

Learn more about other awesome animal moms!