Blue ringed octopus generally live in shallow or intertidal watersĭespite its bright coloration meant to warn predators of its venomous threat, the blue ringed octopus still has many potential predators to avoid in its environment. Outside of their lairs, they will often pile rocks and other items, securing themselves in their own natural safe room, out of the reach of predators. They can often be found in tide pools within the intertidal or hiding in crevices along the substrate. Their distribution ranges from Australia to Southeast Asia, commonly found along the coastlines of the Philippines and Vanuatu, among others. Behavior and Ecologyīlue ringed octopuses tend to inhabit rocky areas or coral reefs in shallow, intertidal waters. Like all other cephalopods, the blue ringed octopus uses a jet-propulsion technique of expelling water from a funnel-shaped part of its respiratory system. Females tend to be larger than males, and like all octopus species, their overall size depends significantly on temperature and the availability of nutrients and light in their particular habitats. Although it is highly venomous, the blue ringed octopus is very small, growing to 5-8 inches (12-20 cm) in length and weighing no more than 1 oz (28 g). However, when threatened, they display a bright yellow highlighted by about twenty-five bright blue rings over their bodies – a warning to others to stay away. Most species are usually a dull brown or yellow color. Despite their small size, blue ringed octopus contain a potentially fatal venom Descriptionīlue ringed octopus, like all octopus, have eight arms on top of which sit a bulbous ‘mantle’. In fact, the blue-ringed octopus is among the most venomous animals in all of the world’s oceans.
They are known for their colorful patterns of bright blue rings and their highly poisonous venom. They are small and tend to inhabit tide pools and intertidal reef habitats. nierstrasziīlue ringed octopus is a small cephalopod of the genus Hapolochlaena, which contains four known species. Humans eat octopus in many cultures and it is also a popular fish bait.H. Males only live a few months after mating, and females die of starvation shortly after their protected eggs hatch. Octopuses usually live for 6 - 18 months. Octopuses have very good eyesight and an excellent sense of touch.Ī female octopus can lay on average about 200,000 eggs, however, fending for themselves only a handful of the hatchlings will survive to adulthood. An octopus is able to regenerate a lost tentacle. Octopuses can eject a thick, blackish ink in a large cloud to distract the predator while the octopus uses a siphon jet propulsion system to quickly swim away headfirst, with arms trailing behind.Ī last ditch defence is for the octopus to shed a tentacle similar to how a gecko or lizard can discard a tale. This can also be used to talk with or warn other octopuses.Īnother defence is to make a fast escape.
#OCTOPUS PREDATORS SKIN#
Octopuses are believed to be highly intelligent compared to other invertebrates.Īn octopus's main defence against predators such as sharks is to hide and camouflage itself by using certain skin cells to change its color.
The largest octopus is believed to be the giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini which weigh about 15 kg (33 lb), and has an arm span up to 4.3 m (14 ft). Octopuses can squeeze into tight spaces as they are invertebrates which means they have no skeleton, (some species have a protective casing in their mantles).Īn octopus has a hard beak, like a parrot beak, which they use to break into and eat their pray such as crabs and shellfish. Octopuses have two eyes in a globe-shaped head (mantle) off which protrude eight long limbs called tentacles that have two rows of sucker senses. They are divided into finned deep-sea varieties that live on the ocean floor and finless, shallow water varieties found around coral reefs. There are around 300 species of octopus, usually located in tropical and temperate ocean waters.
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