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Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena spp.
Growing up along the shores of Sydney Harbour I was always familiar with Blue ringed Octopus, but was never aware of their deadly potential.
Camp Cove, Sydney Harbour where I spent many diving years exploring the shallow shore reefs and finding many wonderful critters.(Photo Neville Coleman)
I began diving in 1963 and coming up from a dive at Camp Cove in Sydney Harbour witnessed a local soldier from the nearby barracks being taken away by ambulance.
Apparently a group of soldiers were playing with a blue ring they found in a rock pool. One 21-year-old picked it up and put it on his arm to show the pulsing neon display. The octopus bit him and minutes later he collapsed and consequently died. We now know that the octopus was the southern blue-lined octopus Hapalochlaena fasciata.
All 10 species of blue rings (including the six new undescribed ones) have large salivary glands which contain powerful toxins to paralyse their prey (normally crabs and shrimps). This toxin is known to be a nerve toxin called tetrodotoxin produced by bacteria living within the venom gland. Victims die from lack of oxygen when all their voluntary muscles shut down.
The problem arises when one of these small innocuous, shy and retreating octopus is disturbed and turns on its iridescent pulsating bright blue warning rings. People have been fascinated and have picked them up to show them off or to see them closer often resulting in a bite and disturbing consequences. Not all bites have been fatal, but there are three deaths contributed to various species in Australia and one in Indonesia.
Responsible for at least one known fatality, the southern blue-lined octopus Hapalochlaena fasciata photographed at the site of the fatality at Camp Cove, Sydney Harbour, NSW in the late 1960s.
(Photo Neville Coleman)
The southern blue-ringed octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa is found in the waters along Australias southern shores where it lives amongst rocky reefs and rubble and is generally only seen out at night. Records show several people have been bitten but apart from respiratory problems none have died. (Mornington, Victoria) (Photo Neville Coleman)
I discovered this undescribed new species at 20 metres at Mrs Watsons Beach, Lizard Island, GBR IN 11/75. This was the first picture of the Great Barrier Reef blue-ringed octopus Hapalochlaena sp. The finding encouraged the Smithsonian Institute in America to launch an entire expedition to Lizard Island to find more specimens. (Photo Neville Coleman)
This Mid-ring Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena sp. has just been found
and is pulsating its blue warning rings.
(Milne Bay PNG) (Photo Neville Coleman)
Although discovered, the Mid-ring Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena sp. then assumes its normal camouflage colouring and remains motionless. (Milne Bay PNG)(Photo Neville Coleman)
This Mid-ring Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena sp. is jetting away through the water after being disturbed by my camera. Little is known about this species. (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea). It is also found in Indonesia. (Photo Neville Coleman)
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