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Blue-ringed octopus

Blue-ringed octopus

Appearance and lifestyle:

The blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is renowned for being one of the world’s most venomous marine animals, despite reaching a maximum of 10 cm in size. While resting, these octopuses are a beige or dark yellow colour, but their bodies flash 40 to 60 glowing blue rings when provoked. Their venom, delivered from the beak, can inflict total body paralysis.

Habitat:

The blue-ringed octopus is found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Diet:

Feeds on small crabs, shrimps and other small animals.

Threats:

Some of the they face are pollution, climate change, habitat destruction etc.

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Blue-ringed octopuses' venom is 1 000 times more powerful than cyanide.
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The blue rings of these octopuses are an example of aposematism, where animals use bright colours as a warning for predators.
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There are believed to be roughly 10 species of blue-ringed octopus, but only four have been given scientific names.