The Greater Blue-ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is one of three (or perhaps four) species of blue-ringed octopuses. Unlike its southern brethren, the Blue-lined and Southern Blue-ringed octopuses that are found only in Australian waters, the range of the Greater Blue-ringed Octopus spans the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Greater Blue-ringed Octopuses can weigh between 10 and 100 grams, though the average is 55 g.
Prey The Greater Blue-ringed Octopus mostly eats crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp. It also eats reef fish that stray too close. It injects them with a powerful neurotoxin that easily paralyzes them. Then the octopus eats its prey.
Toxicity Their venom, which includes a neurotoxin known as tetrodotoxin, is produced by bacteria in the salivary glands.
Variable ring patterns on mantles of Hapalochlaena lunulata Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by jwb187 on Feb 10, 2008, 3:27pm
pretty little dudes but they sure pack a wallop Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by 221extra on Feb 10, 2008, 3:28pm
True they are not the best octopi to keep as pets.Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by jwb187 on Feb 10, 2008, 3:30pm
yep, they will bite the hand that feeds them...!!!!!!!!!Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by admin on Feb 11, 2008, 12:46pm
Blue-ringed octopus numbers increasing
January 30, 2008 07:20am Article from: Font size: + -
THEY are one of the most dangerous animals on earth - and they're swimming at the beach with you.
Meet the deadly blue-ringed octopus, found lurking in increasing numbers around Sydney beaches in recent weeks.
Already one person has been taken to hospital with a bite from the creature, with experts fearing the worst is still to come - with millions of the deadly octopuses living along the NSW coast.
"It's only a matter of time before someone dies," marine biologist David Baxter said yesterday.
"It's the second most poisonous sea creature after the box jellyfish, but we co-exist with it."
Despite their small size and colours, a bite from a blue-ringed octopus quickly paralyses a person to a point where they fall unconscious and can't breathe.
Victims can only be saved with immediate medical treatment that involves resuscitation and putting pressure on the wound.
Manly Hospital confirmed it had recently treated an adult bitten by a blue-ringed on Shelley Beach -- with two more serious stings, possibly blue-ringed bites, treated last weekend.
Dr Baxter called for councils to erect warning signs at beaches so that children and tourists would be more aware of the deadly danger.
Even beachgoers who don't pick up the animal are in danger.
The animal, which only grows to the size of a golf ball, can easily climb into a small shell - or even a swimmer's pocket - without being spotted.
There are literally millions of blue-ringed octopus along the coast - including many in the sand and rockpools of Sydney beaches.
"We've become complacent," Dr Baxter said. "Little kids are picking up spoonfuls of shells. One of the blue-rings is the size of your little finger but there's enough poison to kill a little kid.
"There's no cure for the bite. You have to be resuscitated or taken to hospital reasonably quickly to survive."
Thats why no matter how cool the animal looks dont pick it up they are not good in captivity because of their poisonus bite. Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by frank on Feb 11, 2008, 1:04pm
Quote:
Thats why no matter how cool the animal looks dont pick it up they are not good in captivity because of their poisonus bite.
poisonous salivah .Re: Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa Post by 221extra on Feb 11, 2008, 1:12pm
Quote:
Quote:
Thats why no matter how cool the animal looks dont pick it up they are not good in captivity because of their poisonus bite.
poisonous salivah .
No its the bite then the posion is put into the body. Re: Greater Blue-ringed Octopus - Hapalochlaena l Post by tigerburningbright on Aug 15, 2010, 8:58am
Hapalochlaena lunulata [ Greater Blue Ringed Octopus] is not just found in Australia, but also many other western Pacific countries. The other 2 sub species of blue ringed octopus are the Southern Blue Ringed Octopus [(Hapalochlaena maculosa] and the Blue Lined Octopus[Hapalochlaena fasciata] and these two types are only found in Australia[ particularly central- southern Australia]
Hapalochlaena lunulata[ Greater Blue Ringed Octopus] is the largest of the blue ringed octopus, but it is the least toxic and has a considerably less amount of tetrodotoxin than the Lesser Blue Ringed Octopus and the Blue Lined Octopus. Getting bitten by any of the 3 would be bad, and the 2 Australian types are imo the most lethally toxic sea animals in the world. Luckily through they rarely bite, but when they do its life threatening.
Re: Greater Blue-ringed Octopus - Hapalochlaena l Post by tigerburningbright on Aug 17, 2010, 10:16am
Heres where I got my info . H.Lunulata is the greater blue ringed octopus and H. Fasciata is the blue lined octopus
Intra-organismal distribution of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue-ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena fasciata and H. lunulata).
Williams BL, Caldwell RL.
Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA. beckyw@berkeley.edu Abstract
In-depth studies on the intra-organismal distribution of toxin may yield valuable clues about potential ecological functions. The distribution of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in previously unexamined tissues of two species of blue-ringed octopuses, wild-caught Hapalochlaena fasciata and Hapalochlaena lunulata from the aquarium industry, was surveyed. Tissues from each individual were examined separately. Tetrodotoxin was detected in posterior salivary gland (PSG), arm, mantle, anterior salivary glands, digestive gland, testes contents, brachial heart, nephridia, gill, and oviducal gland of H. fasciata. By contrast TTX was found only in the PSG, mantle tissue, and ink of H. lunulata. The highest concentrations of TTX resided in the PSG of both species; however, the arms and mantle contained the greatest absolute amounts of TTX. Minimum total amounts of TTX per octopus ranged from 60 to 405 microg in H. fasciata and from 0 to 174 microg in H. lunulata and correlated well with the amounts in the PSG. Transport of TTX in the blood is loosely suggested by the presence of the toxin in blood-rich organs such as the gill and brachial hearts. The distributional data also suggest both offensive and defensive functions of TTX
As you can see the blue lined is much more toxic. I also remember reading that the Southern Blue Ringed Octopus[H. maculosa] has more TTX toxin than the greater ringed octopus and has a comparable amount of poison as the Blue Lined octopus. The Blue Lined and the Southern Blue Ringed are probably the most venomous[ and their poisonous aswell as TTX is toxic to eat] marine animals on the planet.
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