Vilix'pran's species

Ensign Vilix'pran is a member of an unknown alien species who served Starfleet in the space station Deep Space 9 in the 2370s. Members of his species reproduce by budding, producing many offspring each time. In the year of 2371, Vilix'pran requested some time out since he was budding with twins (he already had four children from a previous budding at this time). The crew organized a baby shower for him, with Chief O'Brien building him a new hatching pond. In 2373, it happened again. Based on Pran's previous buddings, Dr. Bashir stated that he could expect anything from eight to eighteen hatchlings. Jake Sisko has taken care of Vilix'pran's children on several occasions, making sure that their wings wouldn't get tangled.

Behind the scenes
The character of Vilix'pran was sort of a recurring gag on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as he was often mentioned but never actually seen.