Blue-Ringed Octopus
The blue-ringed octopus, despite its small size, carries enough venom to kill twenty-six adult humans within minutes. Their bites are tiny and often painless, with many victims not realizing they have been envenomated until respiratory depression and paralysis start to set in. No blue-ringed octopus antivenom is available yet, making it one of the deadliest reef inhabitants in the ocean.
Blue-ringed octopuses are one of the deadliest animals in the sea. Through their range in Australia and the eastern Indo-Pacific, several humans suffer bites each year. Although, some of these are fatal. In Australia where blue-rings occur in shallow coastal waters and can be common in areas frequented by beach-goers, there been dozens …show more content…
One type of poison secreted is primarily effective against crabs, its primary food source, and the other is very toxic and is used against predators for defensive purposes. It is not known whether the octopus simply secretes saliva near prey, and waits for it to become incapacitated, or if it actually bites its prey. Once it’s prey is dead, the octopus begins consuming it with its powerful beak-like mouth.
What to do if you get bit!
The bite of the blue-ringed octopus may be painless but it is definitely fatal. Its venom contains some mycotoxin which is more violent than any animals found on land. This poison is 10,000 times more potent that cyanide. Upon being bitten, the victim's nerve conduction is stopped and paralysis sets in after a few minutes. Paralysis is then followed by death. Some symptoms are as follows:
*Nausea
*Blindness
*Loss of all other senses
Quick Facts
The blue rings are only visible when the Blue-ringed octopus is about to attack
It has a tiny, parrot-like, beak that can bite through your wetsuit
The Blue-ringed octopus is only the size of a golf ball but still carries enough poison to kill 26 humans in minutes
The poison is not injected but comes from its saliva
They are found in shallow coral and rock pools in
The blue-ringed octopus, despite its small size, carries enough venom to kill twenty-six adult humans within minutes. Their bites are tiny and often painless, with many victims not realizing they have been envenomated until respiratory depression and paralysis start to set in. No blue-ringed octopus antivenom is available yet, making it one of the deadliest reef inhabitants in the ocean.
Blue-ringed octopuses are one of the deadliest animals in the sea. Through their range in Australia and the eastern Indo-Pacific, several humans suffer bites each year. Although, some of these are fatal. In Australia where blue-rings occur in shallow coastal waters and can be common in areas frequented by beach-goers, there been dozens …show more content…
One type of poison secreted is primarily effective against crabs, its primary food source, and the other is very toxic and is used against predators for defensive purposes. It is not known whether the octopus simply secretes saliva near prey, and waits for it to become incapacitated, or if it actually bites its prey. Once it’s prey is dead, the octopus begins consuming it with its powerful beak-like mouth.
What to do if you get bit!
The bite of the blue-ringed octopus may be painless but it is definitely fatal. Its venom contains some mycotoxin which is more violent than any animals found on land. This poison is 10,000 times more potent that cyanide. Upon being bitten, the victim's nerve conduction is stopped and paralysis sets in after a few minutes. Paralysis is then followed by death. Some symptoms are as follows:
*Nausea
*Blindness
*Loss of all other senses
Quick Facts
The blue rings are only visible when the Blue-ringed octopus is about to attack
It has a tiny, parrot-like, beak that can bite through your wetsuit
The Blue-ringed octopus is only the size of a golf ball but still carries enough poison to kill 26 humans in minutes
The poison is not injected but comes from its saliva
They are found in shallow coral and rock pools in