The blue-ringed octopus is a remarkable creature. Living off the coast of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, they are easily recognized by their yellow skin and characteristic blue spots. This color has the ability to change suddenly when threatened.
Professor Culum Brown from Macquarie University said that although their size is only equivalent to a ping pong ball, their bite can penetrate human skin. With extremely strong venom, it will cause the victim to feel nauseous, have heart failure, paralyze the entire body, stop breathing, become blind, or even die within a few minutes if not treated promptly.
During the day, the blue-ringed octopus hides. Hide in cracks or under rocks. But when night comes, this small mollusk begins to hunt. It soon takes down crabs and small fish with paralyzing venom injected directly into the prey’s body. When their opponent is numb, they carve their prey with their strong beak and then begin the meal.
When resting, this creature turns yellow with dark brown spots. But when excited, these spots turn bright blue. The discoloration originates from ink-filled elastic pockets located just under the skin. These sacs expand when the octopus is threatened, releasing blue pigment on its surface. When no longer stimulated, these sacs shrink and the pigment disappears.
Experts say that most octopuses attack humans because they feel threatened. Many beachgoers even hold and dunk them into the sea. By the time they change color, it’s too late. An octopus’s parrot-like beak can easily pierce the skin and muscles underneath. The bite is not painful, but the venom is up to 10,000 times stronger than cyanide.
Currently, beachgoers in Australia are exposed with more and more blue-ringed octopuses. Oceanographer Jenny Hofmeister said: “Like most animals they only attack people when they feel threatened. Most people who are bitten have a hobby of collecting empty shells. That’s where they can hide inside. Therefore, you should avoid picking up empty shells in places where this species occurs.
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