The blue-ringed octopus (scientific name: Hapalochlaena lunulata) is a small but beautiful sea creature belonging to the octopus family. They are mainly found in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the coastal waters of Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.
The most striking feature of the blue-ringed octopus is the bright blue rings on its body surface, which are not usually noticeable, but appear immediately when the octopus feels threatened or frightened, as a warning color to deter predators.
The blue-ringed octopus is small, usually the size of a golf ball, but despite its small size, it is one of the most venomous marine creatures in the world. The venom of the blue-ringed octopus is a pufferfish toxin that is 50 times more toxic than a cobra and more than 850 times more than ***. The venom in the body of an adult blue-ringed octopus can kill 26 adults in a matter of minutes. As long as there is 0When 5 milligrams enter the human body, it can paralyze people's muscles, causing respiratory and heartbeat arrest and death. What's even more terrifying is that there is currently no antidote to the venom of the blue-ringed octopus.
Here are a few important points of information about the blue-ringed octopus:
1. Strong toxicity: The venom of the blue-ringed octopus contains tetrodotoxin, which does not decompose even at high temperatures, so even after cooking, its toxicity is still strong. A blue-ringed octopus carries enough toxin to kill multiple adults.
2. Aggressive situations: Although blue-ringed octopuses do not usually actively attack humans, they may engage in defensive bites if provoked or threatened, such as being lifted or stepped on from the water.
3. Distinguish easily confused species: Other non-toxic or low-toxicity octopuses similar in appearance to blue-ringed octopus are sometimes found in the market, but the toxicity and danger of blue-ringed octopus are very high, so special care needs to be taken when buying and eating seafood.
4. Correct treatment: If you are unfortunate enough to come into contact with a blue-ringed octopus, you should seek medical treatment immediately, avoid eating it or try to do it yourself, because there is no specific antitoxin that can fight the effects of tetrodotoxin.
Due to the highly toxic nature of blue-ringed octopuses, they are absolutely inedible. Although there is a food for fried blue-ringed octopus in Asia, this practice is extremely dangerous because ordinary cooking methods cannot eliminate the toxins from the blue-ringed octopus. If you accidentally eat a blue-ringed octopus, you must seek medical attention immediately to avoid fatal consequences. In view of the dangers of the blue-ringed octopus, businesses and netizens in some areas have also reminded people to pay attention to identifying and avoiding the consumption of such dangerous marine creatures.
In summary, not only is the blue-ringed octopus highly toxic, but there is currently no effective antitoxin that can prevent its toxicity, so it is highly recommended that people do not try to catch, touch, or eat the blue-ringed octopus.