blue ring octopus question
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jharlow
Member
The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans. There is no known antidote.
The octopus produces venom that contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The major neurotoxin component of blue-ringed octopus venom was originally known as maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin which is also found in pufferfish and cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by bacteria in the salivary glands of the octopus.
First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours. Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body. The symptoms vary in severity, with children being the most at risk because of their small body size. The victim might be saved if artificial respiration starts before marked cyanosis and hypotension develop. Victims who live through the first 24 hours generally go on to make a complete recovery.
It is essential that immediate and full time respiratory support be given (e.g. artificial respiration/rescue breathing) even if the victim appears not to be responding. Tetrodotoxin poisoning can result in the victim being fully aware of his/her surroundings but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs they have no way of signalling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support, together with reassurance, until medical assistance arrives ensures that the victim will generally recover well.
The blue-ringed octopus is currently one of the most toxic known sea creatures. Another cephalopod, Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish, produces a venom roughly equal in potency to that of the blue-ringed octopus. Despite its small size, the blue-ringed octopus carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes.
The octopus produces venom that contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The major neurotoxin component of blue-ringed octopus venom was originally known as maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin which is also found in pufferfish and cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by bacteria in the salivary glands of the octopus.
First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours. Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body. The symptoms vary in severity, with children being the most at risk because of their small body size. The victim might be saved if artificial respiration starts before marked cyanosis and hypotension develop. Victims who live through the first 24 hours generally go on to make a complete recovery.
It is essential that immediate and full time respiratory support be given (e.g. artificial respiration/rescue breathing) even if the victim appears not to be responding. Tetrodotoxin poisoning can result in the victim being fully aware of his/her surroundings but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs they have no way of signalling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support, together with reassurance, until medical assistance arrives ensures that the victim will generally recover well.
The blue-ringed octopus is currently one of the most toxic known sea creatures. Another cephalopod, Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish, produces a venom roughly equal in potency to that of the blue-ringed octopus. Despite its small size, the blue-ringed octopus carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes.
texasmetal
Active Member
Hapalochlaena species are indeed beautiful creatures and I can understand why someone might think they would be neat to have.
However I can think of several reasons as to why to advise against getting one. There are lots of other species of octopus that can't kill you, and are actually diurnal (day active), and aren't teeny tiny (you'd rarely if ever see a dwarf species in a tank that big) and are equally if not more interesting.
They're only beautiful when they are angry/aggressive/stressed.
They are nocturnal, which makes for a pretty boring octopus, blue-ring or otherwise.
They have to be shipped from Australia/Phillipines (other side of the world) and they don't ship well.
About 90% of the ones collected die in transit. Most others die shortly after purchase. That's a lot of octopuses who could have contributed to the gene pool gone so that someone could enjoy a single specimen for a few weeks.
If it's big enough to actually enjoy watching, it's mature. Mature octopuses don't have long to live.
An O. briareus would be great for a 90 gallon, and you can actually interact with it hands on without the threat of imminent death to yourself or anyone else who may come into your home.
If you still insist on just having to have that blue-ring octopus I suggest you contact your local hospital and make sure they know how to respond to the 911 call they may potentially recieve. If this is your first attempt at keeping an octopus, I would suggest gaining some experience with other non-deadly species first so you can learn from any escapes, maintenance issues, and whatever else may come up so you're ready to deal with these things when they happen.
Sounds serious. It is. A pet cobra would be safer. It can't squeeze through gaps the size of a pencil lead, and there's actually antidote for that venom. Sure, lots of people keep them. Lots of people smoke crack too. I have kept 6 octopuses over the past 3 years and I still have no intention of ever keeping something that can kill me or my girlfriend or our dogs. The tanks require maintenance which requires my hands being in the tank and the tank being open. This always involves keeping the octopus occupied so as to not get bit by it or allowing it to climb out of the tank. They are extremely curious and love to go after anything that moves be it an aggressive attack or just checking your hands out. Either way, it's just not wise.
If this doesn't persuade you to look into other species, then good luck and best wishes. Please print out a fact sheet on tetraodotoxin and tape it on top of the tank so any houseguests who may find you incompacitated will know how to react and what probably happened.
However I can think of several reasons as to why to advise against getting one. There are lots of other species of octopus that can't kill you, and are actually diurnal (day active), and aren't teeny tiny (you'd rarely if ever see a dwarf species in a tank that big) and are equally if not more interesting.
They're only beautiful when they are angry/aggressive/stressed.
They are nocturnal, which makes for a pretty boring octopus, blue-ring or otherwise.
They have to be shipped from Australia/Phillipines (other side of the world) and they don't ship well.
About 90% of the ones collected die in transit. Most others die shortly after purchase. That's a lot of octopuses who could have contributed to the gene pool gone so that someone could enjoy a single specimen for a few weeks.
If it's big enough to actually enjoy watching, it's mature. Mature octopuses don't have long to live.
An O. briareus would be great for a 90 gallon, and you can actually interact with it hands on without the threat of imminent death to yourself or anyone else who may come into your home.
If you still insist on just having to have that blue-ring octopus I suggest you contact your local hospital and make sure they know how to respond to the 911 call they may potentially recieve. If this is your first attempt at keeping an octopus, I would suggest gaining some experience with other non-deadly species first so you can learn from any escapes, maintenance issues, and whatever else may come up so you're ready to deal with these things when they happen.
Sounds serious. It is. A pet cobra would be safer. It can't squeeze through gaps the size of a pencil lead, and there's actually antidote for that venom. Sure, lots of people keep them. Lots of people smoke crack too. I have kept 6 octopuses over the past 3 years and I still have no intention of ever keeping something that can kill me or my girlfriend or our dogs. The tanks require maintenance which requires my hands being in the tank and the tank being open. This always involves keeping the octopus occupied so as to not get bit by it or allowing it to climb out of the tank. They are extremely curious and love to go after anything that moves be it an aggressive attack or just checking your hands out. Either way, it's just not wise.
If this doesn't persuade you to look into other species, then good luck and best wishes. Please print out a fact sheet on tetraodotoxin and tape it on top of the tank so any houseguests who may find you incompacitated will know how to react and what probably happened.
sx450 rider
Member
I laughed so hard with that crack part!!!!
-tara33-
Member
Originally Posted by SX450 RIDER
http:///forum/post/2832600
I laughed so hard with that crack part!!!!
+1
http:///forum/post/2832600
I laughed so hard with that crack part!!!!
+1
mboswell1982
Active Member
lkgrenegade22
Member
And some people actually keep these?
rebelprettyboy
Active Member
Def dont wanna keep that octopus. Why get something that ould kill u in a sec?
lkgrenegade22
Member
My question is how do they catch them in the wild?
ray j neal
Member
GET IT! If we don't hear from you in the future we know why.
lkgrenegade22
Member
Originally Posted by -Tara33-
http:///forum/post/2851906
you dont have to catch them here in australia, you go to the beach look under a rock or in an emty coke can and there it is, asleep and cosy. and then BAM out it sqwurms-or howeva u spell it
So these extremely poisonous octopi are all over your beaches?
http:///forum/post/2851906
you dont have to catch them here in australia, you go to the beach look under a rock or in an emty coke can and there it is, asleep and cosy. and then BAM out it sqwurms-or howeva u spell it
So these extremely poisonous octopi are all over your beaches?
keri
Active Member
Originally Posted by LKGRenegade22
http:///forum/post/2851979
So these extremely poisonous octopi are all over your beaches?
Yeah, Australia is a fabulous place to go and get bitten by something venomous
Octopi (and sea snakes!!) in the ocean, snakes and spiders on land....I think even the platypus (male) is slightly venomous...It's a good thing the place itself is gorgeous!!
http:///forum/post/2851979
So these extremely poisonous octopi are all over your beaches?
Yeah, Australia is a fabulous place to go and get bitten by something venomous
Octopi (and sea snakes!!) in the ocean, snakes and spiders on land....I think even the platypus (male) is slightly venomous...It's a good thing the place itself is gorgeous!!
jaymz
Member
Originally Posted by Keri
http:///forum/post/2852191
Yeah, Australia is a fabulous place to go and get bitten by something venomous Octopi (and sea snakes!!) in the ocean, snakes and spiders on land....I think even the platypus (male) is slightly venomous...It's a good thing the place itself is gorgeous!!
Austrailia has some the the deadliest animals on earth hanging around that place. Blue ring octo, box jellyfish, brown snake, sea crates, platypus, red back spider, funnel web spider etc.. good place to let the kids run around..
oh yeah and the stone fish
http:///forum/post/2852191
Yeah, Australia is a fabulous place to go and get bitten by something venomous
Octopi (and sea snakes!!) in the ocean, snakes and spiders on land....I think even the platypus (male) is slightly venomous...It's a good thing the place itself is gorgeous!!Austrailia has some the the deadliest animals on earth hanging around that place. Blue ring octo, box jellyfish, brown snake, sea crates, platypus, red back spider, funnel web spider etc.. good place to let the kids run around..
oh yeah and the stone fish
-tara33-
Member
lol ive never been bitten by any of these things, i think majority of them are were ppl dont actually go to like the middle of nowhere or the rainforests, but it comes down to if you dont touch them then they dont touch you its only if you look for them. i swim every day in summer and thats in the bay so there is nothing in there, just clean beaches with like no fish you swim with snorkal on foreva and there is no fish or anything just sand
-tara33-
Member
Originally Posted by Jaymz
http:///forum/post/2852212
Austrailia has some the the deadliest animals on earth hanging around that place. Blue ring octo, box jellyfish, brown snake, sea crates, platypus, red back spider, funnel web spider etc.. good place to let the kids run around..
oh yeah and the stone fish
so were you live you dont have spiders or jellyfish or piosoness snakes or octopies or sea snakes. is it just full of cuddly bears and squirells
http:///forum/post/2852212
Austrailia has some the the deadliest animals on earth hanging around that place. Blue ring octo, box jellyfish, brown snake, sea crates, platypus, red back spider, funnel web spider etc.. good place to let the kids run around..
oh yeah and the stone fish
so were you live you dont have spiders or jellyfish or piosoness snakes or octopies or sea snakes. is it just full of cuddly bears and squirells
jaymz
Member
Originally Posted by -Tara33-
http:///forum/post/2852222
so were you live you dont have spiders or jellyfish or piosoness snakes or octopies or sea snakes. is it just full of cuddly bears and squirells
honestly yes
we have copperhead snakes thats about it. and people rarely die from the bites.
Im not knocking australia at all I love that place. Its like madagascar you have your own set of evolutionary rules. But you have to admit you own some of the most deadly creatures available.
http:///forum/post/2852222
so were you live you dont have spiders or jellyfish or piosoness snakes or octopies or sea snakes. is it just full of cuddly bears and squirells
honestly yes
we have copperhead snakes thats about it. and people rarely die from the bites.
Im not knocking australia at all I love that place. Its like madagascar you have your own set of evolutionary rules. But you have to admit you own some of the most deadly creatures available.