A blue ringed octopus is extremely dangerous and extremely venomous and can kill 26 adult humans within minutes.
It is never safe to touch a blue ringed octopus as blue ringed octopuses are very venomous and also are one of the most venomous marine animals on Earth.
A blue ringed octopus has enough venom in it's saliva that it can easily kill 26 adult humans within minutes.
The venom of the blue ringed octopus paralyzes the muscles when you're bitten, which specifically shuts down your ability to breathe, while also often leaving you fully conscious.
There's also no antidote for the specific toxin that is released by the blue ringed octopus and you can survive if CPR and life support and ventilation are administered immediately until the paralysis wears off, which is often within 15 to 24 hours.
But it's never worth the risk and so you should always give the blue ringed octopus space and never touch them.
Blue ringed octopuses are a golf ball sized cephalopod that is also famous for it's warning display.
Adult blue ringed octopuses measure around 4 cm to 6 cm in size with an arm span of up to 20 cm and weigh roughly 28 grams to 80 grams.
The body of a blue ringed octopus is a soft, bag like mantle that houses the blue ringed octopuses organs, and is connected to 8 arms that are equipped with rows of muscular suckers.
The blue ringed octopus also has no bones.
Resting blue ring octopuses are grey, beige or yellowish in color.
But when the blue ringed octopus is agitated, pigment cells called chromatophores and reflective cells called iridophores flash 50 to 60 iridescent blue rings or lines.
The blue ringed octopus also has 3 hearts, which is one systemic heart and 2 hearts that pump to the gills and a donut shaped brain.
Blue ringed octopuses also carry a highly potent neurotoxin that is called tetrodotoxin inside of their specialized posterior salivary glands that is delivered through their parrot like beak.
The Blue Ringed Octopus is also considered to be the scariest octopus.
Although the blue ringed octopus is only the size of a golf ball, a blue ringed octopus also holds enough tetrodotoxin to kill as many as 26 adult humans.
The bite of a blue ringed octopus is also completely painless and people who are bitten by the blue ringed octopus usually don't realize they are envenomated until the person suddenly stops breathing and even becomes paralyzed completely.
Blue ringed octopuses should be observed and not ever handled.
If bitten by a blue ringed octopus it can lead to paralyses and even death pretty quickly.
While most other octopuses are harmless, blue ringed octopuses are the exception and can be deadly.