What do you think is the most poisonous creature in the world?
I guess most people will answer: poisonous snakes.
However, in the ocean, there is an octopus that is dozens of times more poisonous than a poisonous snake, and there is no antidote to its toxicity.
Blue-ringed octopus
Many people will feel very unfamiliar when they hear the name blue-ringed octopus.
In fact, this is also because the blue-ringed octopus is not common on the mainland, but is an octopus that lives in the Pacific Ocean.
In general, the blue-ringed octopus is not very large, basically about the size of the golf ball we see, and its arm span is no more than 15 centimeters.
It can be said that when we see the appearance of the blue-ringed octopus, we will actually think that it is very beautiful, at least among the top octopuses.
Like other octopuses, the entire body of the blue-ringed octopus is made up of soft tissues and does not have any skeletal structure, so to speak, with this, the blue-ringed octopus can twist its body into any shape it wants.
Even if it is a very narrow crack in the stone, the blue-ringed octopus can be squeezed into it with its strength.
You know, the blue-ringed octopus is actually a very intelligent predator, its skin contains color cells, and it can change the color of its body at will.
In other words, when they move around in different environments, they can "blend in" with the colors of the whole environment, which is actually a bit like a chameleon.
In normal times, they will hide themselves with the pigment cells of their skin, and if they touch their prey, they will directly "open their mouths".
And if another animal provokes it, the blue-ringed octopus will puff up like a balloon and turn from blue to bright yellow, but it still has a blue circular pattern, which is where its name comes from.
I have to say that the glowing blue circle on the blue-ringed octopus looks really good.
In this process, in fact, the blue-ringed octopus changes the size of the different colored cells on its body by contracting or stretching, so as to change its entire appearance.
Although the blue-ringed octopus is small, its means of defense are diverse.
In addition to its ability to change color, the toxins of the blue-ringed octopus are also terrifying to people and animals.
"Unique" toxicity
Although the blue-ringed octopus is small in size, its ability is very large.
In the small body of the blue-ringed octopus, there is actually a very toxic "toxin", which is one of the most poisonous marine creatures, and even more so the most poisonous cephalopods.
After synthesizing the opinions of scholars from all over the world, the American magazine "World Wildlife" selected the ten most poisonous species in the world after professional evaluation, and the blue-ringed octopus ranked third.
The most surprising thing is that even the "King Spectacle Viper" in everyone's perception is ranked behind the blue-ringed octopus, and it is far behind, which is enough to see the toxicity of the blue-ringed octopus.
As the old saying goes, the brighter the mushroom, the more toxic it is, and the same applies to blue-ringed octopuses.
In the whole ocean, the blue-ringed octopus is already very brightly colored, and this is just because other animals have proved that the blue-ringed octopus is poisonous and will run away when you see it.
Generally speaking, blue-ringed octopuses eat small fish and shrimp, and in the process of predation, they will use their sharp beaks to pierce the body of their prey, or directly "release poison".
It can be said that once the blue-ringed octopus begins to release poison, then the prey in this vicinity will not have any "way to live".
Generally speaking, however, blue-ringed octopuses do not release poison casually, and they stay under the reef during the day and do not appear to feed until night.
And its personality is not the kind of person who bites whom, as long as it does not feel that nearby creatures are threatening to it, then the blue-ringed octopus will not take the initiative to attack or release toxins.
If you see a blue ring of light emitting more than a flash of blue ring on the blue-ringed octopus, then be careful, it is actually a reminder that if you don't leave me, you will release poison.
And once poisoned, then there is no antidote.
There is currently no antidote
After research by experts, it was found that the most important toxin secreted by the blue-ringed octopus is "tetrodotoxin", which is often found in Japan.
This is actually a neurotoxin, and it can greatly block the conduction of nerves and muscles, and then gradually start to stop breathing and heartbeat.
Not only that, but there are also related studies that prove that the toxin of the blue-ringed octopus is more than 1,000 times more powerful than potassium cyanide.
After being bitten by the blue-ringed octopus, in fact, there is not much feeling at first, but as time goes by, you will feel that the whole body becomes very weak, and basically after an hour, very obvious symptoms of poisoning will appear.
This feeling is actually when the person is fully conscious, gradually feeling that his whole body is paralyzed, and then his breathing begins to gradually decrease, and finally the heart no longer beats at all.
It can be said that the most tormenting thing about this toxin is to die in sobriety.
According to relevant information, the toxin released by such a small blue-ringed octopus can easily block 26 adults.
However, the toxin of the blue-ringed octopus is not actually secreted by itself, but by virions in its salivary glands.
To put it another way, these viruses actually live in the salivary glands of the blue-ringed octopus.
When the blue-ringed octopus is threatened, the virions in its body are sensitive, releasing toxins.
Previously, it was also revealed on the Internet that some merchants mixed blue-ringed octopus with octopus and sold it together.
If it is not for the sharp eyes of consumers, then once they eat it, the consequences will be even more unimaginable.
Even after the blue-ringed octopus is steamed at high temperatures, the toxins in its body will not be broken down.
What's even more unexpected is that because the appearance of the blue-ringed octopus is very good-looking, and the "ability" to change color has also attracted the curiosity of many people, so some people try to buy the blue-ringed octopus and then feed it as a pet.
What we need to know is that at present, no one in the world has studied an antidote to blue-ringed octopus toxin, and once poisoned, then basically even if it is incurable.
Therefore, we must not joke with our lives.
Information sources:
Global Times "Netizens said that they bought the highly toxic blue-ringed octopus on the hot search, and the supermarket responded"2023-01-18 10:55
Yangtze Evening News "The blue-ringed octopus is all over the Internet, experts: one of the most poisonous animals, don't be curious to eat, don't advocate being a pet" 2023-01-17 16:25
CNKI "Small and Cute Poison Blue-Ringed Octopus"