I present to you the unassuming, but beautifully colored, Blue-Ringed Octopus whose saliva contains a toxin that’s 1,000 times more powerful than cyanide.
This type of response is called aposematic behavior when animals flash colors warning predators that if they dare take a bite they won’t live to tell the tale.
All species in the Blue-Ringed Octopus family have saliva which contains a powerful neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin. It is produced by bacteria and is a powerful, fast-acting toxin.
A tiny bite could result in complete: – Paralysis – Blindness – Loss of senses – Nausea And, could result in death within minutes!
Fun Fact Heads up! ALL octopuses are venomous but only two contain the lethal TTX (the Blue-Ringed Octopus and the Mototi Octopus).