All octopus, cuttlefish and some squid are poisonous, according to a new study. The largest known octopus species, the Pacific giant octopus, can reach sizes larger than 16 feet (5 meters) in diameter. But the blue ring of 5 to 8 inches (12.7 to 20.3 centimeters) is still the only one dangerous to humans. Although octopus and squid are formidable fighters in nature, they are usually not dangerous to people.
That doesn't mean they're always harmless. Some species are especially well equipped to defend against larger creatures, and are strong enough to kill a human if they feel threatened. The bite of the Pacific Giant Octopus will not only hurt, but it will also inject poison into its target (although this poison is not deadly). Some octopuses have venom that can even be deadly to humans, but attacks are rare.
In fact, wrestling with octopus was actually a sport in past decades, although it has since been banned in places where it was popular, such as Washington State. Of course, there are a number of species ranging from scary big guys worth fighting for to this irresistible little guy. A blue-ringed octopus is one of the most dangerous animals in the ocean. Its bite can be fatal to humans.
However, very few people have died from the bite of a blue-ringed octopus. These octopuses are not aggressive and tend to stand alone unless attacked. In the 1950s and 1960s, a popular sport to play was called “octopus wrestling”, in which a diver grabbed an octopus and tried to drag it to the surface. As seen in the video, the octopus approaches a group of divers who were swimming near the bottom of the ocean and with flashlights on.
Octopuses are generally considered to be the cute, colorful, and (incredibly) intellectual characters of the ocean. While it was undoubtedly an unpleasant experience, it is likely that the baby octopus acted out of fear, feeling threatened after being pulled out of the water and placed near the woman's mouth. Octopuses (no, not octopuses) may seem soft, and most of them are, but eight-armed animals also have a secret weapon in the middle of all those tentacles: a scissor-like beak. Apparently he was going to eat it for dinner, but before that, he decided it was a good time for a photo opportunity and — we're saying this again — he placed the octopus on his face.
We've seen that other octopuses have a penchant for photography, so it's possible that he was really interested in Nienaber's camera. Although cuttlefish is rarely found with humans, its venom is considered extremely dangerous and can be as lethal as blue-ringed octopus venom, MarineBio reports. There are not many reports that octopus injure humans; they tend to avoid humans and many attacks have not been verified. Octopus bites can cause bleeding and swelling in people, but blue-ringed octopus venom (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is only known to be deadly to humans.
After an octopus has captured a meal with its muscular arms, it uses its beak and tongue shaped like a drill to pierce the hard shell of its prey. A blue-ringed octopus is one of several species of small octopus that show small, bright blue rings on their body when they are alarmed. As long as you receive immediate treatment, you are likely to fully recover from a blue-ringed octopus bite.
