Dangerous Creatures: Blue-Ringed Octopus

(Southwestern Pacific Ocean)

   An octopus’s arms are good for many things. Swimming, walking on rocks, prising open prey… and parachuting.
   Like the octopus, clams, cone shells and lettuce slugs are molluscs.
   A cloud of ink, a change of colour, and the octopus is hidden from a hungry eel or shark.
   Blue spots or stripes really show up in the water – and may be warning, “This creature is venomous!”
   The amazing octopus can hide in a narrow crack or crevice, and jet around by shooting water through its body.
   The female octopus keeps a close watch over her eggs. But when the babies hatch, they’re on their own.
   Video: Imagine having eight arms to swim with. You could spread out and float like a parachute, crawl across the bottom, and grab a crab with arms to spare.
   Advice: A blue-ring is only about the size of my hand. If you were that tiny, you’d bite any giant that grabbed you. So feel free to look at a blue-ringed octopus, but don’t touch it.

Next: Where would you find a blue-ringed octopus? Look off the coast of Australia, near a coral reef.