Do people actually keep the blue rings??? I know a fair number keep black tip reef sharks an those have killed people in the wild.
Gr8KarmaSF;2511142; said:Does it count if my significant other can fit in my 240g?
If not, then that cute little blue ringed octupus thingy...
greenterra;2511937; said:My vote goes to the blue ring octopus aswell.
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Extract from the vid
Of mushrooms and women it is said, the most beautiful are the most dangerous. That saying might as well go with octopuses, as blue ring octopuses are among the most beautiful and colourful octopus species. The Blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa and Hapalochlaena maculosa, displays its blue rings as a warning when threatened. This is when it looks pretty but is the most lethal. Do not touch! They are not aggressive and tend to avoid confrontation by flattening the body and blending into its surroundings. When the threat is unavoidable, the Blue-ringed octopus ejects a neuromuscular venom that contains maculotoxin and tetrodotoxin which cause paralysis. This poison is fatal and more potent than any poison found in land animals. Human victims can be saved if artificial respiration begins quickly; however there is no known antidote and the only treatment is ongoing heart massage and artificial respiration until the poison dissapates (usually in 24 hours with no ill-effects). Symptoms include: nausea, vision loss and blindness, loss of senses, loss of motor skills, respiratory arrest. The venom causes an inhibition of muscles that are needed for conscious motions of the body including respiration and locomotion. Unconscious muscles such as the heart and the iris ring muscle are not influenced. That means, while respiration and movement are stopped, heart and brain keep on working - the bitten person dies of suffocation in plain conscience. However, the venom has a short time of effectiveness - when artificial respiration is applied, the person can fully recover. In total three casualties have been reported, of which two have been in Australia and one in Singapore. A Blue Ringed Octopus was not even known to be dangerous until 1954. It all started in Darwin when a young sailor started to head back to shore after going spear fishing with a friend. He placed the blue ringed octopus on his shoulder for a few minutes. He did not realise that he had been bitten. Shortly afterwards his mouth became dry and he found it difficult to breathe. This was followed by nausea and vomiting. He was immediately taken to the Darwin hospital. He stopped breathing, many resuscitation attempts were made, but all failed. After his death a tiny mark was found on his shoulder.