The Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus Of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu (Hapalochlaena Lunulata)
This months article will be about..
The western pacific island of Espiritu Santo! Espiritu Santo is an island that makes up the country of Vanuatu. It exists in the southwestern pacific ocean. It is incredibly far from land. Many marine animals from this isle migrated from Australia or other surrounding areas. The isle is approximately 3689.68 from mainland Vietnam. That is the closest to a continent that is considered “mainland”. It is a mere 998.36 miles from the Australian province of Queensland. It is also approximately 3343.68 nautical miles from the Antarctica. Vanuatu is extremely biodiverse due to the great climate conditions & the nutrients in the waters. However, there is one species in particular which stands out from the rest, that species is known as the Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus. A tiny octopus that can kill someone if stung. They are one of the most toxic marine cephalopods in the world. These creatures are found throughout the coastal waters of Espiritu Santo. They exhibit bright blue rings on their bell & their tentacles. This is an important characteristic as it can tell the difference between other species of octopi. These blue rings will flash as a warning sign for approximately a third of a second. They are incredibly small & the toxins that they inject you with can be lethal. They are native to the Indo-west pacific region. In this article we will discuss the life of the greater blue-ringed octopus, the mating procedures, tactics, practices, & cycles of the greater blue-ringed octopus, the distribution of the greater blue-ringed octopus, the scientific detailings of the greater blue-ringed octopus, & what to do in the event that you are attacked by a greater blue-ringed octopus. They are not considered to be endangered or threatened by modern scientists.
The Life Of The Blue-Ringed Octopus
This species was first described in 1832, however it was not originally called its modern name. It was named Octopus lunulatus at the time. It was offically discovered by Jene René Constant Quoy & Joseph Paul Gaimard. It is not known how exactly this creature was discovered. Even though it is incredibly deadly, it has a mere length average of 11 centimeters (4.33071 inches). They only weigh about 55 grams (0.121254 pounds or 0.055 kilograms) on average regardless of gender. However they may weigh as little as 10 grams (0.0220462 pounds or 0.01 kilograms) or much as 100 grams (0.220462 pounds or 0.1 kilograms). The average life span of them is 3.75 years, this is regardless of gender. Cephalopods in general are incredibly smart. However blue ringed octopi in particular are proven to have high levels of intelligence. It is not known exactly how long this species has existed for as a whole. They often consume small fish & crustaceans. They are cannibalistic & will consume each other while fighting over territory. They will consume what ever will fit in their beaks. They hunt by grabbing onto their prey & injecting it with deadly venom. They will then poke a hole in the exoskeleton of the animal & suck the animals remains out. They do not have teeth. They will then consume the prey. Most often they will hunt during the daylight hours. However, they may switch cycles of hunting during different hours throughout their lifetimes. It is not known how much they consume per day. Their metabolism is not very fast as they do not often swim very fast, instead opting to eat whatever passes by. The largest predator of this species is eels, specifically the Moray Eel. Whales, seals, & waterbirds also often hunt this animal. They often avoid interacting with humans & they lead a rather solitary life besides when they look for a mate. They will only attack humans if they feel threatened enough. They are incredibly territorial & do not enjoy other blue ringed octopi trespassing on their territory. As a reaction this octopus may consume the trespasser. They have eight tentacles & are often dark yellow, grey, tan, or beige in colour. They have a sac like head. They have bright blue rings all over their bodies & tentacles. The rings usually have dark yellow colouring on the inside. These rings will grow brighter as a warning sign that they will attack.
The Mating Tactics, Procedures, Practices, & Cycles Of The Blue-Ringed Octopus
Cephalopods mate in incredibly strange ways. The Blue-ringed octopus mates via sexual reproduction. They are not monogamous & do not form emotional bonds with each other romantically. They are not hermaphroditic & cannot change genders in any capacity. They will have the urge to mate once they reach adulthood. The females will only have one gestation period once before dying. If she survives longer she will have multiple. The male however, will mate with every female octopus he gets the chance to. They reach full sexual maturity at age 10 months to 12 months. This is for both genders of octopi. They do not appear to have a specific breeding month in which breeding spikes. This means that mating is a year-round event. However, the season in which most females lay their eggs is mid-winter. Their approximate gestation period is 4 months. The male will initiate courtship by stroking his arm along the female. After this the male will use a modified arm to eject the sperm. This arm has a sac directly attached to it that holds the raw sperm. After this the male will insert his modified arm into the females oviduct. She will not have the eggs fertilized immediately & will keep the sperm until she decides to lay her eggs. These eggs will hatch after approximately 4 months. She will lay 50 to 100 eggs. The female will take care of the eggs & carefully build a shelter for them during this time. When they hatch the babies will immediately swim off into the ocean. They will not stay around & will not fight with each other. After they hatch, the female will die. This baby octopus will grow extremely quickly & increase its body weight by 5% every day. It will consume many things very rapidly. After this the cycle is repeated.
The Distribution Of The Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus
The greater Blue-ringed octopus is found all throughout oceania. They are found from Sri Lanka, to the Philippines, & to the Solomon islands. They are found in especially high density off the coast of northern Australia. They are only found here & currently are not an invasive species anywhere. They prefer these tropical areas most likely due to good climate & abundance of food. As far as current knowledge goes, they are only found in water above 75° Fahrenheit (23.8889° Celsius). They also prefer shallow water which is another reason for this choice of habitat. They are not often found deeper then 20 meters (65.6168 feet). They are commonly found throughout tidal areas, shallow coral reefs, & can be even seen on top of clumps of algae. It is important to mention that if you happen to be in the Indo-West pacific, do not pick up octopi even if they look deceased. This species has no known subspecies.
The Scientific Detailings Of The Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus
Blue ringed octopi in general are infamous for their strong & potent venom. Their venom is composed of tetrodotoxin, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine & dopamine. The reason that they developed this poison is for the purpose of hunting & defence. Once this venom has made contact you may experience nausea, headaches, respiratory arrest, overall pain, heart failure, blindness or vision impairment in 1 or both eyes, & in exceptional situations total paralysis. Due to the fact that they are cephalopods they may fit anywhere that their beak allows them to. They have special skin cell structures that allow them to flash their rings in a brighter fashion. These flashes are usually very bright & brief. The fast flashes are achieved using muscles under direct neurological control. The ring is hidden by contraction of muscles above the iridophores; relaxation of these muscles & contraction of muscles outside the ring expose the iridescence. They do not have bones at all or teeth. As for their anatomy, they have separate neurological functions for each tentacle. Also all of their organs are located in their bell. They move via jet propulsion. They suck in water & then push it out in order to move properly. In this way, they do not exactly swim.
The image above illustrates their anatomy & the placement of their organs. They have a total of 3 hearts much like squid. They have 2 branchial hearts which pump blood to their gills. At this point the blood will take in oxygen & be sent off to the systemic heart. After this the systemic heart will pump the blood all over the body. Their blood is also blue instead of red. The reason for this is due to a copper rich protein known as Hemocyanin existing in their blood. The existence of this protein in their blood causes their blood to be blue. This is very similar to the iron in Hemoglobin in human blood. This blue blood exists in all cephalopods. This species most likely evolved from Monoplacophora. This is a small barnacle looking creature that has a single cap shaped shell. They have an incredibly complex neurological structure. They do not have a central brain as we think of it. They have individual systems for each tentacle. This is why if you chop off an octopus tentacle it will still move afterwards. They can also feel extreme amounts of pain. They can also feel emotions towards octopi & other humans. If they are wronged they may hold a grudge against people or other octopi until they die. However, they may also become emotional attached to humans. They may feel different about certain humans. They are able to recognize human faces to a certain extent. Their phylum is known as Mollusca. Mollusca is the 2nd largest phylum, just behind Arthopoda. Mollusca is however the largest marine phylum as it comprises approximately 23% of all documented marine species. The three most commonly found features defining modern species categorized under molluscs are the following: a mantle with a significant cavity used for breathing & excretion, the presence of a radula, and the structure of the nervous system. Their class is Cephalopoda. This class includes almost all species of cuttlefish, octopi, squid, & nautilus. Their order is Octopoda. This order contains the same types of species as Cephalopoda. A universal characteristic of this order is that all species classified under this are invertebrates. Their family is Octopodidae. This family contains the majority of all documented octopus species. Their genus is Hapalochlaena. This genus holds the 4 species of blue-ringed octopus. Their Binomial name is Hapalochlaena Lunulata.
What To Do In The Event Of A Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus Attack
Step. 1 Exit The Water Immediately
If you are stung in the water it is important to exit the water. Avoid getting sand in the wound if possible.
Step. 2 Keep The Injured Person Laying Down
It is important to keep the person from panicking as well.
Step. 3 Apply A Large Elastic Bandage On The Injured Site.
Use pressure immobilization bandages to wrap the area. Wrap tightly.
Step. 4 Add Splint To The Limb That Is Stung.
Splint the area that is stung with any firm object that is available. Make sure to avoid moving the limb.
Step. 5 Call Emergency Medical Services
This step is crucial to the victims survival. Greater Blue-ringed octopus bites can cause death in as little as 20 minutes. If you are in Australia call 000. If you are on Vanuatu call 22100. If the person does not receive proper care they may go into total paralysis.
Step. 6 Prepare To Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Due to the sting, the person may go into cardiac arrest. If emergency services do not arrive on time you must be ready to perform CPR. In order to do so, begin by placing the person on a flat, firm, & stable surface. After this give 30 chest compressions. Place both hands centered on the chest. Your shoulders should be directly over your hands & your elbows should be locked. Make sure to allow the chest to return to normal position before the next compression. Give 2 breaths as well. Open the airway to a past-neutral position using the head-tilt/chin-lift technique. Ensure each breath lasts about 1 second & makes the chest rise; allow air to exit before giving the next breath. Act quickly as venom can cause death within 20 minutes.
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