Search for the most dangerous animals and your will find this specimen called the Blue-Ringed Octopus in the top five!
(Yes! The great Homo sapiens is still in the first place!)
But did you know that it is dangerous because it has a great microscopic friend!?
Now when you think of Octopus you would assume a large sized creature with a big head (or whatever you call it!); but this one is an actual example of ‘size does not matter!’
At the size of a golf ball and decorated with stunning iridescent rings of blue, the aptly named blue-ringed octopus punches well above its weight.
This docile animal will attack when threatened, packing a neurotoxin 1,000 times more powerful than cyanide, with no known antidote not that there would even be enough time to administer it before death occurs!
The bite of the blue-ringed octopus is so painless, one might not even feel it happening (which makes it even more remarkable how often people share photos and videos with one in their hand)! The Homo sapien is not only the most dangerous, he or she is sometimes the most stupid also!
People have been so amazed by this docile creature that they touch and try to ‘enjoy’ the beaty of nature! Little do they realise that when a thing is naturally beautiful then you better watch out!
The poison in question is the tetrodotoxin (TTX)!
TTX is found in a variety of animals including fish, amphibians and shellfish. Pufferfish are one well-known example. These fish can be eaten, but they sequester TTX in their internal organs, so if they aren’t properly prepared, they can cause fatal poisoning.
Blue-ringed octopuses disperse TTX throughout their body. If they are eaten by another animal, the TTX acts as a poison. There has been at least one case of human poisoning caused by someone mistakenly eating a blue-ringed octopus, though a study found that swallowing TTX can make it about 50 times less toxic than when it is delivered through other means! But still, it is better to have some ‘safer’ dish like maybe a Palak Paneer or what I made today! Soya chunks with capsicum!
Another remarkable thing to note is that the poison is not produced by the Octopus itself but the little friend who has ‘rented’ place!
The Symbiotic bacteria in blue-ringed octopus salivary glands produce tetrodotoxin! This substance is potently neurotoxic, blocking the transmission of nerve impulses. This stops muscles from being able to contract and has potentially deadly consequences! So this very beautiful creature can literally stop your heart!
Your Heart also stops a little when you see your Adhar card photo! Though it’s an amazing initiative courtesy Nandan Mohanrao Nilekani!
So remember that if it’s beautiful then it probably is dangerous!
Except a beautiful sleep of course!
Shubh ratri!
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