Kingdom+Animalia

Kingdom Animalia: __The Blue-Ringed Octopus __ (Hapalochlaena maculosa﻿)




 * ** Kingdom ** || ** Animalia ** ||
 * ** Phylum ** || ** Mollusca ** ||
 * ** Family ** || ** Octopodidae ** ||
 * ** Genus ** || ** Hapalochlaena ** ||
 * ** Species ** || ** H. Maculosa ** ||
 * ** Binomial Name ** || ** Hapalochlaena Maculosa ** ||

** Apperance and behavior: **
The Blue ringed octopus is a very stunning creature that has the ability to kill 26 adults within minets. The bule ringed octopus gets its name from its beautiful rings that appear on it body when the octopus is alarmed or feels threatoned. It is recognized as having one of the most toxic venoms in the world. With a size of 6 inches and a weight of 28grams (1 oz.) this octopus it mearly the size of a gulf ball. The texture of its skin appears rough. It is covered in fine uneven wrinkles around the head and mantal. The Blue Ringed octopus is recognized by its distinct blue rings and yellow skin. When the octopus is at rest and calm the rings appear invisable and the octapus camafloges with its soroundings. Once the octopus feels threatoned or agitated, the rings abruptly turn a bright blue. The rings cover the octopuses superior surface from the mantel extending out through the arms. The size of the rings are about 8mm in diameater. There are about 25 rings on the surface of the octopuses body. On the octopuses eyes there lyes a thin blue line crossing the eye horizontally. During the day the octapus is usually resting in cravases and under rocks. At night the octopus is active and feeding.

Habitat and Location:
The blue ringed octopus can be found in the pacific ocean on the southern coast of australia. It lives close to the coasts in depths ranging from 0-50 meters.



Mating and development:
Mating begins when an interested male aproces a female. The male the inserts his extra arm, the hectocotylus, under the females mantle and releses spermatophores into the females oviduct. The female then lays 60-100 eggs and watches the untill they hatch, 50 days later. Once the eggs are hatched the female dies, due to lack of food during the period she was gaurding her eggs. When the blue ringed octopus are born they are the size of a pea. The octopus then begin to mature and grow fairly quickly untill they are the size of an average adult (about the size of a golf ball). The life expectancy of the blue ringeg octopus is about 2 years.

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**Feeding (Ecology): ** The blue ringed octopus feed on small crab, hermit crab, shrimp and small or wounded fish. The octopus has two types of venoms. One is used for hunting and the other is used for self defence. The poison exists within the octopus’s saliva. When the octopus is attacking its prey it either releases its saliva into the water or bites the prey; the true strategy is unknown. Once the prey is dead the blue ringed octopus engulfs the meal with its strong and powerful beak-like mouth.

**Human encounters: ** There is rarely human attacks by the blue ringed octopus, but when it occurs it is usually because the creature was picked up or stepped on. When you are bit, the octopus injects its neuromuscular venom containing maculotoxin and tetrodotoxin, causing instant paralysis. Some symptoms include nausea, blindness, and loss of all other senses. There is no specific antidote, but heart massage and artificial respiration should take place until the venom works its way out of ones system.

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 * Fun Facts: **
 * If an octopus loses a tentacle, they can regenerate and grow a new one.
 * The blue ringed octopus can only see in black and white.
 * These animals are not agressive and will only attack humans if provoked.
 * considered as having one of the most poisonous venoms in the world.
 * It has no skeleton, making it very easy to hid in very small spaces, and sqeeze through tiny holes.
 * The blue octopus, like all other octopuses, has three hearts and blue blood.

"The blue-ringed octopus." //Did you know?//. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2010. __[]__
====Campbell, David, and Joni Lawrence. "Blue-ringed Octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa at MarineBio.org." //MarineBio.org - Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea creatures, Biodiversity, Oceans research...//. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2010. [].====