The Types of Poisonous Octopus You Need to Know About – Gage ...

The Types of Poisonous Octopus You Need to Know About
Octopus are some of the most interesting creatures on our planet. They're smart, they can defend themselves from predators, and as research has shown, octopuses are one of the only non-human animals that use tools. Researchers have taken on Octopuses as study subjects due to their high levels of intelligence and complex nervous systems. And given the size of their brains, their intelligence might even be on par with some vertebrates.
In a study carried out in 2009, researchers discovered that all octopus species are poisonous, and most of them are venomous.
Even though all are poisonous, there are some octopuses whose poison is so strong that it can kill a human being in minutes.
The following is a list of the strongest types of poisonous octopuses you need to know about.
The blue-ringed Octopus is the most poisonous of all octopuses. This type of Octopus has venom that contains tetrodotoxin, a substance that acts as a neurotoxin to humans.
Even though its entire body is covered with venom, this type of Octopus doesn't bite people itself. However, if threatened, the blue-ringed Octopus will show off by flashing its bright yellow and black rings. It can also spray poison at its enemies and cause blindness and paralysis.
The poison in this octopus' venom is strong enough to kill a human within minutes unless an antidote is given immediately.
The blue-ringed octopus is found in the Sea of Japan, Southern Australia, and the Philippines.
The mimic Octopus has a unique ability to imitate other animals such as lionfish, sea snakes, flatfish, brittle stars, crabs, and mantis shrimp. This Octopus can also change its body color as chameleons do.
Found in the Pacific Ocean, the mimic Octopus has venom in its saliva, which can cause paralysis and kill its prey.
One of the intelligent invertebrates is the Coconut Octopus. It is a very playful animal with less fear of its predators. Usually, they are found in shallow waters on coral reefs or anywhere where there are coconut trees like the western Pacific Ocean.
This medium-sized Octopus is the only one that has a coconut shell. They use it as a home and can often be found sitting on their shells. The animal uses them to protect themselves and as a buoyancy aid.
Common Octopus
The common Octopus is the most abundant species among all octopuses, and it can be found everywhere around the world. They live in large dens and eat crabs and mollusks such as prawns, snails, and clams.
This octopus' venom is not very strong, but still enough to paralyze small fish without killing them.
The common Octopus is very flexible and can squeeze through small holes and narrow cracks.
Blanket Octopus
If a poisonous octopus looks dangerous, it's the blanket octopus. This huge creature has a body covered with venomous mucus, and its arms are almost as long as its whole body.
The blanket octopuses females are 10,000 times bigger than the males, making them interesting for researchers.
They are commonly found floating in the subtropical and tropical oceans.
California Two-spot Octopus
Found in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean, this Octopus is tiny and has a brown-magenta color. This animal's venom is not deadly for humans but will only cause nausea and headaches.
It is one of the friendliest octopus’s species and is easily approached by humans. ordinary crab, but this tiny creature is one of the most venomous animals on the
With a purple-brown body color, this is the smallest Octopus in the world and has a light-producing organ on its forehead.
This cephalopod can predict when it will die because they don't grow new cells once they reach adulthood.
It produces light to distract predators, but it can also turn itself into a flat octopus to escape.
Hydrothermal Vent Octopus
The Hydrothermal Vent Octopus is the only Octopus that lives near hydrothermal vents. Their eyes are covered by skin, but they have sharp eyesight to detect animals in low visibility.
Found in the East Pacific rise and near large colonies of Giant tubeworms, this Octopus is tiny, around 6 inches long. They feed on crabs and shrimp and use the teeth in their suckers to tear apart food.
The underwater world is one of the most beautiful places globally, but it can be very dangerous too. Almost all animals carry poison or venom to protect themselves against predators, and octopuses are no exception.
Even though they are invertebrates that lack muscles or skeletons instead of hard shell-like skin, these intelligent creatures still have an arsenal of deadly weapons.
The venom is produced in the salivary glands and used to immobilize prey or defend against predators.
So, do you know which Octopus's venom is the deadliest? Check the list above one more time and see if you can find it.