Today’s Complicated Octopus Fact comes to us from www.edge-of-reef.com.
Blue-Ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena lunulata
“Hapalochlaena species host in their salivar glands symbiotic bacteria, responsible for the production of the deadly tetrodotoxin (the same toxin produced by puffer fishes). This venom kills through the progressive (reversible) paralysis of all the volunteer muscles. The death is by repiratory paralysis, and can be avoided by artificial breathing. It is worth saying that this species is absolutely not aggressive, and the venomous byte is used only as last option.”
