Blue-ringed octopuses are among the deadliest animals in the sea. Throughout their range in Australia and the eastern Indo-Pacific, several humans suffer bites each year. Unfortunately, some of these are fatal. read more
Blue-ringed octopuses, comprising the genus Hapalochlaena, are four highly venomous species of octopus that are found in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans, from Japan to Australia. They can be identified by their yellowish skin and characteristic blue and black rings that change color dramatically when threatened. They eat small animals, including crabs, hermit crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans. They are recognized as one of the world's most venomous marine animals. read more
From the blue-ringed octopus’s perspective, your breathless screaming and vomiting aren’t her fault. This little lady—barely the length of a pencil, from tentacle tip to tentacle tip—was just lurking in a nice rock crevice on an Australian beach. read more
The venom of blue-ringed octopuses is contained in their saliva. In the late 1960s, the primary active toxin was extracted from the greatly enlarged posterior salivary glands of an Australian species of blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa. These globular shaped glands are situated in the anterior body cavity behind the brain. read more
Blue-ringed octopuses, comprising the genus Hapalochlaena, are four highly venomous species of octopus that are found in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia. They can be identified by their yellowish skin and characteristic blue and black rings that change color dramatically when threatened. They eat small animals, including crabs, hermit crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans. They are recognized as one of the world's most venomous marine animals. read more
The blue-ringed octopus is not an aggressive marine animal. Cephalopods, a name used to refer to all octopi, usually live in rocky ocean bottoms. The blue-ringed octopus lives in rock pools, under shells and in shallow waters making then a risk to people wading in tide pools, children, and divers alike. read more