The Greater Blue Ringed Octopus By JV

How to classify a Greater Blue Ringed Octopus? The Greater Blue Ringed Octopus’s body is usually tan or dark yellow. Up to 25 faint blue rings cover its body. They have 8 tentacles and a beak like structure for a mouth.

Where do they live? They are found on the coasts of Northern Australia, and Japan including: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Indonesia They normally stay hidden in shallow coral reefs or camouflage in the sand

What do they eat? They eat small crabs, hermit crabs, shrimp , and occasionally small fish They pounce on their prey and insert their poisonous beak to stun it

Behavior The blue ringed octopi are a generally gentle species. They usually keep to themselves and hide in rock crevices and even in thrown out bottles.

Mating and Reproduction They usually begin searching for a mate when they are about one year old. Shortly after mating the female lays 50 to100 eggs. Studies have shown that the eggs contain venom passed down from the parents during the mating process. The eggs stay in clusters on her tentacles for about 30 days. Shortly after the eggs hatch the female die due to not eating during the brooding period. They can mate with both male and female.

Life cycle of a baby Blue Ringed Octopus The hatchlings are born about the size of a grape seed and grow to be about the size of a golf ball. They mature quickly and are able to hunt within a months time.

FUN FACTS! They have two types of venom: one that primarily disables a victim and the other which is highly poisonous and uses it for predators as defense. The blue ringed octopus holds enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes. The beak of a blue ringed octopus is so strong that it can penetrate a wet suit.

Work Cited www.animalSpot.net/blue-ringed-octopus.html www.aquariumofthepacific.org