The Blue Ringed Octopus

The blue ringed octopus is a small octopus that has a palish body and blue rings. This is the only octopus who's venom is deadly to humans. It's venoms major neurotoxin component is the same as pufferfish and some poison dart frogs. It's venom can result in nausea, respiratory arrest, heart failure, severe and sometimes total paralysis, and blindness. It can cause death in minutes if not treated. First aid treatment is pressure to the wound and artificial respiration once the paralysis has disabled the victim's respiratory muscles, which often occurs within minutes of being bitten.Because the venom primarily kills through paralysis, victims are frequently saved if artificial respiration is started and maintained before marked cyanosis and hypotension develop. Victims who survive the first 24 hours usually recover completely. This octopus had a part in the 007 movie Octopussy.

Things That Make Octopuses Interesting

Octopuses along with cuttlefish have an amazing camouflage system. This system is made possible by specialized muscles. These muscles are a little different than normal muscles, when the are triggered they don't move anything instead they change color! Some also change the texture of the skin. Octopuses have no skeleton so they can slip into just about anywhere. Octopuses eyes are very good, in fact they are made a lot like our own.

Octopuses

This post will be about octopuses in general. 
First of all octopi is the incorrect pluralization of octopus; octopuses, octopods, and octopoda are all the correct forms. They are correct because the suffix -us is Greek while -i is Latin. Octopods range in size, but their maximum arm span is 9 meters. They have four pairs of arms, three hearts (two for the gills and one for the body).Octopods have two eyes on either side of the head which is commonly mistaken for the mantle, which is the body.Octopods have no internal skeleton or shell, but they have a beak.  They can squeeze into small areas and can re-grow lost arms. In fact, octopods have 3/5 of their neurons in their arms, which means each of their arms has a mind of its own. An arm that is severed will continue to function as before, and if it finds food it will try to pass it to its mouth. Octopods have the amazing ability to change their body shape, color, texture and pattern of their skin because of a network of pigment cells and specialized muscles. They are able to imitate other animals and blend into their surroundings. Octopods are the smartest invertebrate. They use tools and collect shells and other objects to make fortresses called “gardens” around their lairs. They have individual personalities. An octopod will release a cloud of black ink when it feels threatened. The ink not only obscures the view of the pursuer, but contains a substance that dulls their sense of smell as well. Octopods are found in tropical and temperate waters, but some live in the deep sea. The octopods that live in the deep sea are finned, while those who live in shallower water are finless. Octopods are predators. They eat fish, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mussels, scallops, and clams. In the wild they live an average of 1-2 years. The octopus is the smartest cephalopod but it has the shortest life span.