Boy Nets a Killer!

Written by: Karisa Whelan, ulladullatimes.com.au

JOSHUA Carpenter was having a day out with his family at Lake Conjola when he made a surprising, and potentially deadly, find. Scooping through the waters of the lake to catch small fish, Joshua was surprised to lift his net and see something flashing blue, a deadly Blue-ringed Octopus.

Realising what it was, the seven-year-old called out to his parents, who rushed to his side and safely removed the small creature from the net.

Joshua's mother, Helen, said she was proud Joshua had alerted his parents when he realised he had caught the dangerous octopus.

"I was surprised and alarmed to see Joshua had caught the octopus as it was quite close to the shore and near our other children, one of who is only 16 months old," Helen said.

"Thankfully Josh knew what to do when he saw the octopus flash blue.

"We are really proud Joshua recognised it as a Blue-ringed, alerted us straight away and didn't play with it.

"I think it is a timely reminder for parents to be aware.

"I hate to think what could have happened if it had been a child who caught the octopus who didn't know what they had found."

After catching the octopus on Tuesday, February 2, Joshua's parents put the creature into a glass jar with methylated spirits giving Joshua a great item for show and tell at school.

The little octopus has since been shown in several classes at St Mary's School and Joshua said that all the kids who saw it had never seen one before.

Helen told the Times that both Joshua and his brother said there were a lot of questions asked by the students and teachers about where and how they got it.

ABOUT THE BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS

DESPITE their small size and relatively docile nature, Blue-ringed Octopuses are currently recognised as one of the world's most venomous animals.

The creature can be recognised by its characteristic blue and black rings and yellowish skin.

It hunts small crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp, and may bite attackers, including humans, if provoked or stepped on.

While there is no Blue-ringed Octopus antivenom available, people who receive immediate first aid are known to recover completely.

The toxin in a Blue-ringed Octopus bite blocks sodium channels causing motor paralysis and respiratory arrest within minutes of exposure, leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen.

Blue-Ringed Octopus Video

Here's a great video of one of the world's deadliest - and most beautiful - creature, the blue-ringed octopus. There are great visuals of the blue-ringed octopus moving about the ocean floor, swimming, interacting with divers and other octopuses, hunting and eating, and transforming it's skin pigmentation.

Video of Blue-Ringed Octopus

Check out this video of a Blue-Ringed Octopus. It's really cool to see how its appearance changes from when it's "at rest" to when it feels threatened - those blue rings flare up! Truly a marvel of mother nature...

Species: Octopus Wolfi, The World's Smallest Octopus

Female Octopus Wolfi.
Facts about the Octopus Wolfi:

• The world's smallest known octopus is the Octopus Wolfi. It was discovered and officially classified in 1913.
  
  
• The Octopus Wolfi measures only 1.5 cm in length!
  
  
• These tiny octopuses are found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean
  
  
• A full grown Octopus Wolfi weighs less than a gram.
  
  
• There is still a lot to be learned about the octopus Wolfi, although it has been noted that the males have fringe-like rims on their suckers, an uncommon trait.

Pictures of Blue Ringed Octopus

Who doesn't love a little Blue Ringed Octopus action? Here are some cool pictures I found of the pint-sized killers:







For more information on the Blue-Ringed Octopus, visit our earlier post, Species: Blue-Ringed Octopus.

Species: Blue-Ringed Octopus

One of the most intriguing octopuses out there is the Blue-ringed Octopus, a beautiful but deadly cephalopod found in the Pacific Ocean. Here are some fascinating about the Blue-ringed Octopus:

• There are three or four species of blue-ringed octopus; three confirmed and a fourth under study. The three confirmed are the Greater Blue-ringed Octopus, Southern Blue-ringed Octopus, and Blue-lined Octopus.
  
  
• The Blue-ringed Octopus can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Australia. The Blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa, can be found only in the temperate waters of southern Australia, from southern Western Australia to eastern Victoria at depths ranging from 0-50 m. Hapalochlaena lunulata can be found in shallow reefs and tide pools from northern Australia to Japan, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines, and Indonesia and as far west as Sri Lanka at depths ranging from 0-20 m.
  
  
• The species is named for the bright blue rings it bears, but while resting it is a pale brown to light yellow color, depending on surroundings. The blue rings only "light up" when the animal feels threatened.
  
  
• Blue-ringed Octopuses are born the size of a pea and grow to be about as big as a golf ball.
  
  
• These tiny killers are among the most venomous creatures on the planet. Despite the poison they carry, they are very docile and will camouflage themselves until provoked to attack.
  
  
• The octopus produces venom that contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The major neurotoxin component of Blue-ringed Octopus venom was originally known as maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin which is also found in pufferfish and cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by bacteria in the salivary glands of the octopus.
  
  
• There is no known antidote for their poison, which is powerful enough to kill humans. First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours. Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body.
  
  
• Their diet typically consists of small crab and shrimp, but they may also feed on fish if they can catch them. They pounce on their prey, paralyze them with venom and use their beaks to tear off pieces. They then suck out the flesh from the crustacean's exoskeleton.
  
  
• Blue-ringed octopus females lay only one clutch of about fifty eggs in their lifetime towards the end of Autumn. Eggs are laid then incubated underneath the female's arms for approximately six months, and during this process she will not eat. After the eggs hatch, the female dies, and the new offspring will reach maturity and be able to mate by the next year. Like most octopuses, they have a lifespan of approximately two years.
  
  
• The Blue-ringed Octopus lacks an ink sac and has therefore become a common addition to the marine aquarium. Toxicologists strongly disagree with this practice because of the potential danger to people who are unaware of the potentially fatal venom.