Hapalochlaena
Size – 12cm-22cm
Weight – around 1oz-5oz
Blue-Ringed Octopus are a smaller species of octopus, with blue rings on their bodies and arms and patches of brown and cream on their bodies.
They produce a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (also found in puffer fish) and is more toxic than a land mammal. They use it to paralyze their prey by peaking through the exoskeleton and inserting the venom. They will then use their beak to pick apart the prey until just the exoskeleton is left.
They are found in the Pacific and Indian oceans on coral reefs or rocky areas of the sea floor.
Their diet consists of small fish, crabs and shrimp.
They are nocturnal creatures coming out at night to hunt.
They only show off their blue rings when they are threatened. When alarmed they will quickly change color to warn their predators.
They are not aggressive and are not a threat to humans unless they are cornered or handled.
There is believed to be around 10 different species of blue-ringed octopus but only four have specific names.
They are currently not considered at risk but they do inhabit coral reefs which are facing threats due to warming ocean waters.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/blue-ringed-octopus-small-vibrant-deadly.html
