Greater Blue Ringed Octopuses have a horizontal iridescent blue line which runs through their eyes and are faint, thin but are usually visible. Thus, the name describes the size of the blue rings, rather than the size of the animal. Like most octopuses, H. lunulata leads a mostly solitary life, except for when mating. Hapalochochlaena sp. These octopus are bottom dwellers inhabiting sandy and silty areas in shallow coral reefs, tidepools, and clumps of algae at depths of 0-20 m (0-66 ft).They hide in rock crevices, inside empty seashells, and in discarded bottles and cans. These octopus are bottom dwellers inhabiting sandy and silty areas in shallow coral reefs, tidepools, and clumps of algae. Here, two or more specimens are dedicated as types for, The greater blue-ringed octopus is slightly smaller than its closest relative, the Southern blue-ringed octopus (. A major distinguishing feature of Octopodidae is its eight muscular tentacles, each containing two rows of independently moving suckers. When the tiny Blue-ringed Octopus is threatened, its faint blue rings become bright and vivid. To date, 3 fatalities have occured involving this species, one of which being in Singapore. The main reason for this is due to the fact that it is the only octopus that is deadly to humans. The accepted and preferred name today is Hapalochlaeta lunulata. The greater blue-ringed octopus lives in an shallow, aquatic environment, much like the sea cucumber. Octopuses such as the Greater blue-ringed octopus can be found in a variety of habitat types, including lagoons, bays, back reefs, and reef flats. Octopuses, along with squid and cuttlefishes have a short lifespan of about 2 years. Despite its size the Blue-ringed Octopus has a fearsome reputation and with good reason. They’re living in all over South-east Australia, near Sydney and Melbourne, Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, Raja Ampat in Indonesia, Anilao in the Philippines, Kimbe bay of Papua New Guinea, Bali in Indonesia, Mabul in Malaysia and Puerto Galera in the Philippines. The blue-ringed octopus, or BRO for short, tops the list of the critters sought out by macro photographers. The southern species has a much more restricted range, and is located only off the southern coast of Australia. They live in coral reefs and other rocky areas. Pics#2 & #3 were taken as it swam away, carrying the crab. It is no wonder that the name of this particular species, Hapalochlaena lunulata, translates to "soft-skinned and covered in little moons" in Latin, after the large iridescent blue rings that cover the dorsal side of the mantle and web and extend to the arms. coast of Australia and in the tropical regions of the Pacific They can fully regenerate an arm in 6 weeks. Southern blue-ringed octopus or lesser blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) Blue-lined octopus ( Hapalochlaena fasciata ) Hapalochlaena nierstraszi was documented and described in 1938 from a single specimen found in the Bay of Bengal , with a second specimen caught and described in 2013. Several of these are found in Australian waters, with Hapalochlaena fasciata the most common species found around Sydney. The octopus's musculature is unique in that the fibres run in three directions, which casues it to change shape and allow it to be incredibly flexible. It is no wonder that the name of this particular species. When a male is interested in mating, he approaches a female and gets close enough to stretch out its third arm, called a hectocotylus, to caress the female. A single octopus can have thousands of suckers, and and each sucker may have 10,000 neurons to sense both taste and touch. Please add anything you think is important to know below. After a period of caressing the female, the male climbs on the female, at times completely engulfing the female's mantle. They can change shape with amazing speed from a completely flattened, formless body to a threatening, upright shape. These beautiful yet deadly creatures are unique sights to behold. The octopus injects neuromuscular paralyzing venom that can kill humans in minutes. Of the 3 fatalities that were recorded from H. lunulata bites, 1 occured in Singapore, and all have involved the animal being handled. The type locality (where the type specimen was found) is in the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. They are very common in shallow waters around the coast of Australia particularly in the cooler areas along the southern coast. Home Classification Habitat Toxin Nutrition Reproduction Interactions Adaptation Definitions References Contact Me Classification Here I have created a chart to explain the reasoning behind the specific classifications under which the greater blue-ringed octopus is found: They can also move themselves in the opposite direction and swim with their arm tips pointing forwards. Collectively there are around 10 species known as ‘blue-ringed octopuses’. Of the 300-plus octopus species that are currently in existence, the blue-ringed octopus receives, a lot of attention. The greater blue ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena lunulata , is the most venomous species of octopus (although recent studies show that all octopi are slightly venomous). Habitat and Distribution The blue ringed octopus can be found on shallow reefs, in coral rock pools and in tidal pools ranging in depth from 0 - 20 m, from Australia to Japan. Cells that can be found on rosky and sandy substrates, which she in! 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