Blue+Ringed+Octopus

__Description and Treatment __
Blue-ringed octopus are currently recognized as one of the world's most poisonous animals. The blue-ringed octopus is 5 to 9 inches. They camouflage themselves until provoked, then they become bright yellow with blue rings. They hunt small crabs and shrimps by paralyzing them, then sucking out their flesh. Ew! Their venom causes motor paralysis and respiratory arrest, which then leads to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. There are no antidote available for their blue-ringed octopus's venom. Their bites are tiny, and often painless, so many victims may not realize that they have been bit until paralysis and respiratory depression start to set in. First- aid treatment is to keep pressure on the wound and rescue breathing once the respiratory muscles are disabled. Tetrodotoxin in the venom is what's causing the paralysis, but after a few hours it will be metabolized and excreted by the body. Rescue breathing is needed until the victim can breath on his/her own again.

__Reproduction__
A male blue-ringed octopus mates with a female by grabbing her mantle and then transferring sperm packets by inserting his hectocotylus i nto her mantle cavity over and over again. Mating will continue until the female has had enough and the female with have to remove the male by force. 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. After the eggs hatch, the female dies, and the new offspring will reach maturity and be able to mate by the next year. Sad isn't it?

Watch the Blue-Ringed Octopus in action!