A TikTok user shared the findings of the blue-ringed octopus which is known as the deadliest animal. This post was widely commented and went viral.
Through his post, the TikTok account @Petersalasanto admitted that he was surprised to find the animal in Indonesia. He knew that a blue-ringed octopus could kill in a matter of minutes and that there was no antidote.
I REALLY DIDN'T THINK I CAN FIND THIS ANIMAL IN INDONESIA #pesisir #blueringoctopus #guritacincinbiru ♬ Einaudi: Experience - Ludovico Einaudi & Daniel Hope & I Virtuosi Italiani
This isn't the first time the blue-ringed octopus has been discovered. Last year, a foreigner who owned a TikTok account @kaylinmarie21 who was on vacation in Bali, also went viral for posting a video holding a blue-ringed octopus without a protector.
Fortunately, that careless act did not cause him any harm. The animal measuring about 15 cm appeared around Uluwatu Beach, Bali.
Just how poisonous are blue-ringed octopuses? Check out a number of interesting facts about this animal, summarized from various sources.
1. The poison is more dangerous than cyanide
The venom of the blue-ringed octopus is 1,000 times more potent than cyanide. The poison content of this animal is enough to kill 26 adult humans in just a few minutes.
Often a small bite of this animal is painless. That way, victims are often unaware that they have been bitten, until the poison enters and slowly paralyzes the respiratory system.
Recent research says all octopuses do have toxins in their bodies. Because the poison is used to kill their prey. However, not all octopus venom is harmful to humans.
2. Features of the blue ring octopus
This octopus has a size of 5 to 15 centimeters, sometimes has a yellowish color with circles or bright blue stripes around the body.
The color of the ring and the bright blue line will be more clearly visible when it will sting the opponent. Animals often use bright body colors and patterns as a warning to predators to stay away. This is a self-defense mechanism called aposematism.
3. Poison effect
The venom from the blue-ringed octopus is called tetrodotoxin, or TTX, and in severe cases, can paralyze humans within 30 minutes.
This muscle paralysis will spread to the lung muscles, making it difficult for the victim to breathe and lack of oxygen and eventually lead to death. Surprisingly, the victim will remain conscious when experiencing paralysis.
The reaction after being stung by the octopus depends on the amount of fluid that enters the body. Symptoms of a blue-ringed octopus bite will develop rapidly in about 10 minutes.
Some of the symptoms of blue-ringed octopus poisoning are excessive saliva production, difficulty swallowing, tightness in the chest, numbness, sweating, dizziness and headache, nausea, loss of vision.
When symptoms increase and attack other organs, characteristics such as muscle weakness, difficulty communicating, lack of oxygen in the body's tissues will result in changes in skin color from blue to purplish.
4. Stinging poison when threatened
Like other animals, octopuses will attack if they feel threatened. However, cases of this octopus attacking humans are very rare.
So, it is advisable not to disturb the small spaces of their natural habitat. Octopuses can go in and out of very small spaces. So be careful not to touch any object where the octopus is hiding.
5. The hiding place
During the day, blue-ringed octopuses like to hide in crevices of coral, clam shells, or debris in shallow water at the beach.
This animal is often camouflaged with the color of soft sand near this beach. So, be careful when walking on the beach and coral so as not to disturb them.
If you meet this animal on the beach, just observe it from afar. Octopuses only come out into the water at night, because this is their time to hunt. Four species of blue-ringed octopus are found in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
