The large blue-spotted octopus has the scientific name Hapalochlaena lunulata, which lives in the coral areas of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
This type of octopus has a small body size, the adult's body is only as big as a ping-pong ball, weighs 100 grams, the tentacles are about 7-10cm long.
These octopus look very beautiful with about 60 blue spots on the body.When agitated or angry, these green spots will change color and shine, attracting attention and vigilance of marine and human animals.
The poison in the big blue-spotted octopus is mostly tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the five most powerful natural poisons in the world .This neurotoxin may exist at high temperatures when cooked or after death.
The TTX is 1,200 times stronger than the cyanide neurotoxin, 50 times the poison of a cobra, which can kill people with a very small amount of substance.
In large blue-spotted octopus, TTX is concentrated in the salivary glands, which can be easily released through the bite to attack or defend.Two minutes after being hit by the venom of this "sea monster", humans will be paralyzed, respiratory failure, heart failure leading to death.
So far, there is no serum to treat venom of this octopus.Emergency treatment can only treat symptoms.So when poisoning, the victim should be taken immediately to the nearest hospital for treatment.
To prevent being poisoned by blue-spotted octopus, people should pay attention to the characteristics, especially the green spots on their bodies to identify and stay away.Do not use blue spot octopus for food.Wear gloves when handling caught seafood in the net.