10 Interesting Facts about the Blue Ringed Octopus

These following facts about the Blue Ringed octopus should probably give you much information about this animal. The Blue Ringed octopus(es) are three octopus species that live in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia, mainly around southern New South Wales and South Australia, and northern Western Australia. They are recognized as some of the world’s most venomous marine animals.Despite their small size and relatively docile nature, they can prove a danger to humans. For further more information about this kind of animal, here are some facts about the Blue Ringed octopus you might like.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 1: Size

The Blue ringed octopuses is very small in size. It is only 5-7 inches long. It could easily fit into the palm of your hand. But never dare to do it because it might kill you.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 2: Toxin

A blue ringed octopus is a small organism but has enough toxin to kill 30 adult Human. There is no known antidote available. But artificial respiration could remove the toxin and save the life of the victim.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus - Blue ringed octopus

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus – Blue ringed octopus

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 3: Characteristic

They can be recognized by their characteristic blue and black rings and yellowish skin. When the octopus is agitated, the brown patches darken dramatically, and iridescent blue rings or clumps of rings appear and pulsate within the maculae. Typically 50-60 blue rings cover the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the mantle.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 4: Reproduction Process

During the Reproductive process both Male and female Octopus will die. The male dies soon after mating with the female Octopus. On average, a Blue ringed octopus lays 50-100 eggs. The female octopus protects the eggs for many months. During this period the female Blue ringed octopus does not eat anything and will die just after hatching the eggs.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus - From New South Wales, Australia

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus – From New South Wales, Australia

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 5: Bite

The victim must be provided with the first aid or visit medical practitioners right after the bite otherwise paralysis will occur within few minutes or other effects such as lack of oxygen, heart failure, unconsciousness or even death.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 6: Appearance

Blue ringed octopus display dark brown ochre bands in its undisturbed posture. These dark brown bands run all over its arms and body with blue rings superimposed on these bands. However when disturbed, the blue ringed octopus exhibits electric blue color which can be observed when they’re taken out of water. The changing of its color and its small size makes easier for us to recognize these species.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus - Swimming underwater

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus – Swimming underwater

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 7: Habitat

Blue ringed octopus inhabits all along the Indo-West Pacific Region that includes islands off eastern Papua New Guinea, Indo-Pacific, southern Japan, New Zealand, and surrounding Australia. These animals are often found in old shells of dead gastropods and rocky reefs where they come into conflict with waders and coastal fossickers.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 8: Food

They are known to take on squid, hermit crabs, shrimps, and lobster. When a prey is in its range, it will pounce on it while clasping it with its eight tentacles and paralyzing it with its venomous bite. However, when the prey is little farther it will release its poison in the water and wait for the prey immobility.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus - Underwater

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus – Underwater

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 9: Predator

They take shelter in rocky reefs and old shells to avoid potential predators including sharks, moray eel, and other large fish. It has the ability of changing its color with respect to its surrounding environment to get rid of predators. This makes difficult for the predators to distinguish it among rocks, sands, coral, and seaweed.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus 10: Behavior

An individual blue-ringed octopus tends to use its dermal chromatophore cells to camouflage itself until provoked, at which point it quickly changes color, becoming bright yellow with blue rings or lines. The blue-ringed octopus spends much of its life hiding in crevices. Like all octopodes, it can change its shape easily, which helps it to squeeze into crevices much smaller than itself.

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus - Yellowish blue ringed octopus

Facts about the Blue Ringed octopus – Yellowish blue ringed octopus

Hope you would find those Blue Ringed octopus facts really interesting, useful and helpful for your additional reading.

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