Pale Octopus, Hairy-chested Yeti Crab and Other New Species Found

Scientists exploring underwater vents near Antarctica find a world of creatures thriving in temperatures of 400C

Alok Jha

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 January 2012

A world of previously unseen creatures has been found thriving next to boiling vents of water, several miles under the surface of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Hundreds of hairy-chested yeti crabs, a mysterious-looking pale octopus and colonies of limpets, snails and barnacles were found by British scientists at a hydrothermal vent located in the ocean's East Scotia Ridge.

Prof Alex Rogers of Oxford University used a remotely operated vehicle called Isis to scout the sea bed around the ridge, which spans about 2.4km and features springs of black, smoky water that can reach temperatures of almost 400C (752F). The hydrothermal vents are powered by underwater volcanoes, and the scalding temperatures and rich mineral content of the water gives rise to vast rocky chimneys that support a wide variety of life forms.

An image of some of the thriving life found beneath the Southern Ocean. Photograph: Oxford University/PA "The visually dominant species are the yeti crabs, which occur in fantastically high densities, up to 600 per square metre around the southern ridge," said Rogers, who led the expedition aboard the RSS James Cook in January 2010. "Also high densities of stalked barnacles, a large snail from a group called the peltospiroids, and we've also got small, green limpets which occur all over the vents."

The first-known yeti crab, Kiwa hirsuta, was described living near a hydrothermal vent in the south pacific in 2005 and, since then, several species have been discovered in different parts of the undersea world. Around other hydrothermal vents, however, these creatures tend occur in lower numbers; and the new species found in the ESR are not only more numerous but also visually distinct.

"Hirsuta has long hairs on its limbs and its claws, whereas our yeti crabs have extremely hairy chests. One of the nicknames of the crabs which developed during the cruise was the Hasselhoff crabs because they had these dense mats of [hair] on their undersides, the equivalents of their chests."

Another striking creature spotted by the scientists was a pale octopus, which was photographed by the team. Rogers suspected it might be a new species related to the Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis seen at other underwater vents around the world.

In total, the expedition brought back more than 12,000 samples of rocks, bacteria and animals. Rogers said: "One of the staggering things we did find is that these vents are completely different to those seen anywhere else – the animals existing at these vents are almost all new to science," he said. The findings were published on Tuesday in the journal PLoS Biology.

"What we didn't find is almost as surprising as what we did," said Rogers. "Many animals such as tubeworms, vent mussels, vent crabs, and vent shrimps, which are found in hydrothermal vents in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, simply weren't there."

Last week, scientists at the University of Southampton announced the discovery of new creatures in the so-called "Dragon Vent" in the south-west Indian Ocean.

Dr Jon Copley, a marine biologist at the University of Southampton who led the exploration of the Dragon Vent and is also an author on the latest PLoS Biology research paper, said that exploration of the world's deep-sea vents was a race against time.

"The exploitation of the deep ocean is overtaking its exploration. We're fishing in deeper and deeper waters, oil and gas is moving into deeper waters and now there's mining starting to take place in deep waters. We need to understand how species disperse and evolve in the deep oceans if we're going to make responsible decisions about managing their resources."

Rogers added that the vents revealed much about how deep water communities have evolved, and how they are distributed across the world's oceans. "In the space of a single eight-week cruise, we've changed our level of understanding of these systems completely. We've changed our ideas about how vent systems are distributed and the factors that may influence that distribution. What that tells us is that our level of knowledge of the deep sea in general is extremely poor indeed."

He added that hydrothermal vents had already changed the way scientists thought about how life exists on earth. "They told scientists that life could exist in the absence of sunlight – you could have food webs based on mechanical energy. They were also informative about the extreme conditions under which life could exist, they told us about where else in the universe life may occur. Hydrothermal vent biology has stimulated a whole new science of astrobiology."

Species: Blanket Octopus

Blanket Octopus is the common name used to describe four species of octopus belonging to the Tremoctopus genus. The four species are the Common Blanket Octopus, Gelatinous Blanket Octopus, Palmate Octopus, and Tremoctopus Robsoni. They are called so because of the transparent webbing connecting their dorsal and dorsolateral arms, which resembles a large a large flowing blanket.


These species can be found in the open seas of the Mediterranean as well as the North and South Atlantic Ocean. Sightings are rare, making the Blanket Octopus an elusive and mysterious species.

The "blanket" is a defense mechanism, and a handy one too, as Blanket Octopuses do not have ink to ward off predators. Instead, the Blanket Octopus will unfurl its blanket, making it look significantly larger and intimidating, with the intention of scaring off whatever threatens it.


Interestingly, Blanket Octopus is immune to the poison of the Portuguese man o' war, a jellyfish-like invertebrate known for its deadly venom. Taking advantage of their immunity, Blanket Octopuses will rip off the Man o' war's tentacles and use them to defend themselves from attacks.

Males and females look as though their two different species! Female Blanket Octopuses may grow in excess of two meters in length, whereas males only reach a few centimeters. The males have a detachable arm in which sperm is stored. When it is time to mate, the male detaches its arm and lodges it into the female's mantle. The male dies shortly afterwards while the female goes on to carry over 100,000 eggs that she keeps attached to her until they are ready to hatch.

Species: Argonaut

These unique creatures are also sometimes referred to as "paper nautiluses", because of the paper-thin eggcase that females secrete. The case is actually a chamber in which air is trapped to maintain buoyancy, and not the same structure present in a nautilus shell. Argonauts are pelagic octopuses, meaning that they live in the open sea, far from the ocean floor. They can be found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world

Like most octopuses, they have a rounded body, eight arms and no fins. However, unlike most octopuses, argonauts live close to the sea surface rather than on the seabed. Argonauta species are characterised by very large eyes and small distal webs.

Mankind has known about female Argonauts since ancient times, however because of the many differences between the males and females of the speices, we only became aware of the males in the late 19th century. Females grow up to 10 cm and make shells up to 30 cm, while males rarely surpass 2 cm. The males only mate once in their short lifetime, whereas the females are capable of having offspring many times with different partners over the course of their lives. I

Interestingly, the males lack the dorsal tentacles used by the females to create their eggcases. Instead, the males use a modified arm, the hectocotylus, to transfer sperm to the female. For fertilization, the arm is inserted into the female's pallial cavity, then is detached from the male. The hectocotylus when found in females was originally described as a parasitic worm!

After depositing her eggs into her eggcase, she will take shelter in it. Females are usually found with her head and tentacles protruding from the opening of the egg case, but they retreats deeper inside if disturbed. These ornate curved white eggcases are occasionally found floating on the sea, sometimes with the female argonaut clinging to it.



Argonauts use tentacles to grab prey and drag it toward the mouth. It then bites the prey to inject it with poison from the salivary gland. They feed on small crustaceans, molluscs, jellyfish and salps. If the prey is shelled, the argonaut uses its radula to drill into the organism, then inject the poison. They generally eat during the day.

Customary of octopuses, Argonauts are capable of altering their color. They can blend in with their surroundings to avoid predators. They also produce ink, which is ejected when the animal is being attacked. This ink paralyzes the olfaction of the attacker, providing time for the argonaut to escape. The female is also able to pull back the web covering of her shell, making a silvery flash, which may deter a predator from attacking.

Species: Telescope Octopus

The Telescope Octopus is an elusive species that has yet to be fully explored. It is a pelagic - or open sea - octopus that can be found in tropical regions of both the Indian and Pacific Ocean.

Interestingly, the Telescope Octopus is transparent and nearly colorless, giving it an eery ghost-like appearance. The Telescope Octopus gets it's common name form the appearance of it's eyes, which are tubular. They are the only species of octopus known to have rotating telescopic eyes.

Little else is known about the biology or behavior of this spooky cephalopod.

Species: Coconut Octopus or Veined Octopus

Although originally discovered in 1964, this crafty little fella' has been making headlines all week!

Amphioctopus marginatus, commonly known as Veined Octopus or Coconut Octopus, dwells in the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. The Coconut Octopus is named so for a very peculiar behavior: it carries coconut shells and clam shells across the ocean floor and uses them to build fortresses. it is the only invertebrate known to use tools, and one of only two octopuses known to exhibit bipedal behavior by "walking" on two of it's legs.

The Coconut Octopus's diet consists of shrimp, crabs, and clams. The body of the Coconut Octopus is typically around 8 centimeters (3 in) in size, and, with arms, approximately 15 centimeters (6 in) long. The octopus displays a typical color pattern with dark ramified lines similar to veins, usually with a yellow siphon. The arms are usually dark in color, with contrasting white suckers. In many color displays, a lighter trapezoidal area can be seen immediately below the eye.



Although octopuses often use foreign objects as shelter, the sophisticatedbehavior of Coconut Octopus when they select materials, carry and reassemble them, is far more complex. Coconut Octopus's use of coconuts shells and clam shells hasfascinated scientists, mainly because this is the first invertebrate known to carry and maintain objects for future use. Interestingly, while the octopuses are transporting the shells, they receive no protection from them. This is highly unusual behavior.

One Everything Octopus reader even contributed his take on the Coconut Octopus, which you can read HERE.

Stay tuned to Everything Octopus for more about the Coconut Octopus!

Species: Bimac Octopus or California Two-Spot Octopus

The Octopus Bimaculoides, also called Bimac Octopus, or simply Two-Spot Octopus gets its name from the false eye spots under each eye. In California Two-Spot Octopuses, the eye spots are an iridescent blue chain link circle set in a circle of black located on the side of the head.

This species reaches a mantle size of 7 inches (17.5 cm) and arms to 23 inches (58 cm). They're not usually heavily textured and has several common colors, such as grey with yellow splotches.

The habitat of the California Two-Spot Octopus is intertidal and benthic-from the low tide zone to subtidal depths of about 20 meters (65 ft). They prefer sandy substrate and caves of rock or debris to hide in and can tolerate a wide temperature range (at least 60-80F);though they prefer 65-72 F.

California Two-Spot Octopuses eat a varied diet of clams, mussels, small crabs, crayfish, snails. Hatchlings feed on amphipods or mysid shrimp.

Due to their friendly temperament and relative hardiness, they are considered by most experts to make the best pet octopus. Bimacs usually live to be about two years old. They are closely related to Verrill's Two-Spot Octopus, also known as Octopus Bimaculatus.

If you happen to be in the Southern California area, you can see a California Two-Spot Octopus for yourself at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

Species: Atlantic Pygmy Octopus

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus, scientific name Octopus joubini, also known as the Small-egg Caribbean Pygmy Octopus, is a tiny species of octopus. Fully grown, this cephalopod reaches a mantle length of 4.5 cm (1.8 in) with arms up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long.  

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus often seeks shelter from predators in empty clamshells, beer cans or small openings, pulling the opening closed with its arms, combining sand and gravel to form a lid. The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus employs the two defensive mechanisms typical of all octopuses: ink sacs and camouflage.  

Like all octopuses, Octopus joubini is carnivorous. It is able to bore into the hard shells of small clams or other creatures and, after secreting its poisonous saliva to paralyze its victim, eats its prey. While the Atlantic Pygmy Octopus feeds primarily on small crustaceans, only a few species have been recorded as prey of this species in the wild. In laboratory conditions this diet is expanded considerably.  

Females of this species brood between March and June, laying elliptical amber eggs in a sheltered place. The hatchlings are relatively small (0.04 g), but are fully formed and can hunt within hours. They reach maturity in around 182 days and weigh about 30 g at this time.

Species: Caribbean Reef Octopus

The Caribbean Reef Octopus dwells in the waters throughout the Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the coasts of northern South America. They are solitary creatures that tend to only come out to the reef and grassy seabeds at night when it's time to feed.

The most unique feature about the Caribbean Reef Octopus is the color of its skin. The Caribbean Reef Octopus, sometimes simply called the Reef Octopus, has a distinctive blue-green colour that becomes reflective under divers lights, and this makes them very easy to see when they are out feeding. Of course, like other octopuses, the Reef octopus can quickly change color using specialized cells in its skin known as chromatophores.

The body of a Caribbean Reef Octopus grows up to 12cm in length and arms that can reach around 60cm. Its arms are webbed, which is serves as a useful tool for feeding. The Reef Octopus often spreads its arms to turn its webbing into a canopy in which it can trap its prey. The Reef Octopus commonly feeds on crustaceans, bivalves, and small fish.

Species: Haliphron Atlanticus

This is an octopus that defies the way of the 'pus. "How?" you might wonder. By only having seven arms! That's right: Haliphron Atlanticus is a seven-armed octopus.

The Seven-arm Octopus (Haliphron Atlanticus) is the largest known species of octopus based on scientific records, with a total estimated length of 4m and weight of 75 kg. However, there have been disputed claims of even larger octopuses of the species Enteroctopus Dofleini (Giant Pacific Octopus).

Appearance and Anatonmy of Haliphron Atlanticus:

The Seven-arm Octopus is so named because in males the hectocotylus (a specially modified arm used in egg fertilization) is coiled in a sac beneath the right eye. Due to this species' thick gelatinous tissue, it is easily overlooked, giving the appearance of just seven arms.

Its suckers are mostly in two series but grade to single series near mouth. This species has extensive webbing between arms as pictured below.



Habitat of Haliphron Atlanticus:

This species is widely distributed from tropical to high latitudes and occupies meso- to bathypelagic depths. It is commonly associated with slopes of land masses. The habitat of this octopos is unusual. It has been captured in bottom trawls and videotaped swimming within centimeters of the ocean floor (brooding female) suggesting a benthopelagic habitat along the slope. However, it has also been taken from the open ocean thousands of meters from the ocean floor and hundreds of miles from the nearest slope. H. atlanticus is a common food item of blue sharks off New England, USA, and sperm whales near the Azores Isl.

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In 2002, a single specimen of giant proportions was caught by fisheries trawling off the eastern Chatham Rise, New Zealand. This specimen, the largest of this species and of all octopuses, was the first validated record of Haliphron from the South Pacific. It had a mantle length of 0.69m, total length of 2.90m, and weight of 61.0kg, although it was incomplete.



There is still much to be learned about this mysterious species, and so the celebration of everything octopus continues!

Species: The Hairy Octopus

Ok, the species name is not official. Not much is known about this elusive non-identified species of octopus, although I did find it on one site labeled as "The Holy Grail of Cephalopods". How cool is that? These hairy lookin' fellas are found in the waters of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

These photos were taken in Satonda, Indonesia. More wonderful marine-life shots from Eric Cheng can be found on Flickr .


Less than 1 inch in length!
There are also a few good shots shots on Diving4Images.com. It would be a copyright infringement to post them here, so you'll hafta' mosey on over there to see for yourself.

Species: Atlantic Longarm Octopus

This clever little fellow might remind you of another species of octopus that we have explored. The Atlantic Longarm Octopus (Octopus defilippi) is a close relative of the Indo-Pacific Mimic Octopus.

As the name suggests, this species of octopus has incredibly long arms in relation to its body length. The arms are commonly around 30cm in length whereas the body is only about 6cm. The Atlantic Longarm Octopus can grow to about 36 inches or 1 meter in length when the body and arm lengths are measured. The arms are normally more than 7 times the length of the body!

They are quite distinctive with their reddish brown colouring and small white spots however as with many other species they are able to change their color and texture as the need arises. They have eyes high up on the head with a distinctive bump above each one.

The unmistakable eyes of an Atlatic Longarm Octopus
Atlantic Longarm Octopuses can be found in the coral reefs of Australia, Malta and in the Florida Keys. They prefer rocky environments and so frequent the lower areas close to the sea floor. Here, they feed by night on a variety of crabs which they catch with the help of suckers on their arms.

Like the Mimic Octopus, the Atlantic Longarm Octopus will mimic other creatures in order to avoid predation. It will swim along inconspicuously with its arms stretched back to look like a flounder. It has also been spotted with its spread its arms in a manner that makes it appear like a starfish.

The Atlantic Longarm Octopus sneakily swims along disguised as something it's not.
A fascinating fact that makes this species so unique is that females will carry their eggs under their mantle until they hatch. Most species of octopus find a safe lair to hang their eggs from to brood.

Species: Grimpoteuthis or Dumbo Octopus

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are also known as "Dumbo Octopuses" from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their head-like bodies, resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant. They are benthic creatures, living at extreme depths: 3000-4000 meters, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species. They can flush the transparent layer of their skin at will, and are pelagic animals, as with all other cirrate octopuses, and unlike many other incirrate octopuses.

They hover above the sea floor, searching for worms, bivalves, pelagic copepods, and other crustaceans. They move by pulsing their arms, shooting water through their funnel, or by waving their ear-like fins. They can use each of these techniques separately or all simultaneously. The males and females are different in their size and sucker patterns. The females lay eggs consistently, with no distinct breeding season.

• Dumbo Octopuses are found at considerable depths, typically living from 100-5,000m depth, although one was sighted at 7,000m, the deepest depth of any cephalopod.
  
  
• There are about 37 species, currently assigned to four genera. Many are poorly understood.
  
  
• Dumbo Octopuses can grow to 20cm.
  
  
• They are found in every ocean.
  
  
• This creature is typically benthic, living on or close to the bottom of the ocean floor, though some may be found some meters from the seabed where they drift, with arms outspread.
  
  
• These deep-dwelling octopus swim by flapping their large ears and/or by expansion and contraction of their webbed arms. They are graceful swimmers and capable of rapid escape when threatened.
  
  
• Bottom-dwelling species eat crustaceans, worms and bivalves. Those hovering above the bottom tend to eat pelagic copepods. They are unusual in that they mainly swallow prey whole.
  
  
• The Dumbo Octopus swims by flapping its large ears and/or by expansion and contraction of its webbed arms. They are graceful swimmers and capable of rapid escape when threatened.

Species: Octopus Wolfi, The World's Smallest Octopus

Female Octopus Wolfi.
Facts about the Octopus Wolfi:

• The world's smallest known octopus is the Octopus Wolfi. It was discovered and officially classified in 1913.
  
  
• The Octopus Wolfi measures only 1.5 cm in length!
  
  
• These tiny octopuses are found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean
  
  
• A full grown Octopus Wolfi weighs less than a gram.
  
  
• There is still a lot to be learned about the octopus Wolfi, although it has been noted that the males have fringe-like rims on their suckers, an uncommon trait.

Species: Cyanea Octopus, Part II

Here are more fascinating facts about the Cyanea Octopus:

• Unlike most octopuses, the Cyanea Octopus feeds during daylight hours. Its prey includes fish, crabs, shrimp and bivalve mollusks such as clams, oysters, and scallops.
  
  
• Camouflage is not only a handy tool for the Cyanea Octopus, it is also a necessary survival tool, as this octopus is preyed upon by sharks, moray eels, and Hawaiian monk seals.
  
  
• Courtship behavior of the Day octopus begins as the male displays coloring of dark brown with white spots and slowly approaches the female, who is typically in full camouflage. Males have a long modified third right arm that they hold in an upright coiled position and wave toward the female. If the female is receptive to the signaling male, he inserts his arm into the female's oviducts to pass spermatophores from arm's length.
  
  
• The male may keep his distance to avoid the risk of being eaten by the female, a behavior that has been observed in the wild after mating.
  
  
• Female Cyanea Otopuses lay their eggs strategically in a hard-to-reach space within their lairs. Once the eggs hatch into planktonic juveniles, they feed on zooplankton during the early stages of development.
  
  

Species: Cyanea Octopus, Part I

The Cyanea Octopus, otherwise known as the Day Octopus or Big Blue Octopus, is a fascinating little creature! here are some key facts about the Cyanea Octopus:

• The Cyanea Octopus can be found in both the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean from Hawaii to the eastern coast of Africa.
  
  
• This cephalopod growsto have a body approximately 16 cm and arms at least 80 cm.
  
  
• When at rest, the Cyanea Octopus is brown in color, however they have the ability to rapidly change the color and texture of their skin to blend into their surroundings as a defense mechanism.
  
  
• A characteristic feature of the Cyanea Octopus is their dark oval false-eye spots. These spots are present at the base of its arms and on the tips of its arms along with 2 rows of lighter spots. The dark eye-spots are only sometimes visible, as this octopus can change its appearance at will.
  
  
• Cyanea Octopuses feed in daylight hours. Because of this, their camouflage skills are considered "exceptional" among the many species of octopuses.
  
  
• The Cyanea octopus's complex brain sends nervous impulses to their muscles causing them to change appearances almost instantly as they move over sand, coral, rubble and other surfaces. One Day octopus was observed by octopus biologist Roger Hanlon changing patterns 1,000 times over a 7 hour period off the coast of Hawaii!
  
  
• This octopus excavates lairs in coral reefs and associated rubble which can be located by identifying "middens" outside the lair entrance which are typically the empty shells of bivalves and crabs which it has preyed upon.

Species: Giant Pacific Octopus

Sometimes called the North Pacific Giant Octopus, The Giant Pacific Octopus lives along the coastal North Pacific region from California to Alaska and even to certain islands of Japan. It is the largest and longest living species of octopus. While most species have a lifespan of approximately two years, the Giant Pacific octopus has an average lifespan of four years. Like other species, they die shortly after breeding, with the female starving herself during the brooding period.

The most distinguishing feature of the Giant Pacific Octopus is its size. The average adult Giant Pacific octopus weighs 33 pounds and has an arm span of 14 feet, although some weigh as much as 100 pounds, and it has even been reported that one specimen weighed as much as 600 pounds, with an arm span of 30 feet.

When at rest, the Giant Pacific Octopus is a reddish-brown color. Like other species of octopus, Giant Pacific Octopus can contract or expand tiny pigments, known as chromatophores, in its cells and change the color of its skin to blend into its environment.

The Giant Pacific octopus feeds mostly on shrimp, crab, abalone, clams, fish, and scallops. There is also evidence to support that these enormous octopuses feed on sharks. To further support the belief that the Giant Pacific Octopus feeds on sharks, consumed shark carcasses have been found in the middens on the octopus.

Highly intelligent creatures, Giant Pacific Octopuses have learned to open jars, mimic other octopuses, and solve mazes in lab tests. Their population numbers are unknown, and they do not currently appear on any lists of endangered or vulnerable animals. However, they are sensitive to environmental conditions and may be suffering from high pollution levels in their range.

Species: Blue-Ringed Octopus

One of the most intriguing octopuses out there is the Blue-ringed Octopus, a beautiful but deadly cephalopod found in the Pacific Ocean. Here are some fascinating about the Blue-ringed Octopus:

• There are three or four species of blue-ringed octopus; three confirmed and a fourth under study. The three confirmed are the Greater Blue-ringed Octopus, Southern Blue-ringed Octopus, and Blue-lined Octopus.
  
  
• The Blue-ringed Octopus can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Australia. The Blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa, can be found only in the temperate waters of southern Australia, from southern Western Australia to eastern Victoria at depths ranging from 0-50 m. Hapalochlaena lunulata can be found in shallow reefs and tide pools from northern Australia to Japan, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines, and Indonesia and as far west as Sri Lanka at depths ranging from 0-20 m.
  
  
• The species is named for the bright blue rings it bears, but while resting it is a pale brown to light yellow color, depending on surroundings. The blue rings only "light up" when the animal feels threatened.
  
  
• Blue-ringed Octopuses are born the size of a pea and grow to be about as big as a golf ball.
  
  
• These tiny killers are among the most venomous creatures on the planet. Despite the poison they carry, they are very docile and will camouflage themselves until provoked to attack.
  
  
• The octopus produces venom that contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The major neurotoxin component of Blue-ringed Octopus venom was originally known as maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin which is also found in pufferfish and cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by bacteria in the salivary glands of the octopus.
  
  
• There is no known antidote for their poison, which is powerful enough to kill humans. First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours. Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body.
  
  
• Their diet typically consists of small crab and shrimp, but they may also feed on fish if they can catch them. They pounce on their prey, paralyze them with venom and use their beaks to tear off pieces. They then suck out the flesh from the crustacean's exoskeleton.
  
  
• Blue-ringed octopus females lay only one clutch of about fifty eggs in their lifetime towards the end of Autumn. Eggs are laid then incubated underneath the female's arms for approximately six months, and during this process she will not eat. After the eggs hatch, the female dies, and the new offspring will reach maturity and be able to mate by the next year. Like most octopuses, they have a lifespan of approximately two years.
  
  
• The Blue-ringed Octopus lacks an ink sac and has therefore become a common addition to the marine aquarium. Toxicologists strongly disagree with this practice because of the potential danger to people who are unaware of the potentially fatal venom.

Octopus Species: Mimic Octopus

Appropriately named, this unique species of octopus has a very special skill: it can mimic several different sea creatures. The Mimic Octopus, which grows to about 2 feet in length, is found in the tropical seas of South East Asia and was not officially discovered until 1998. Like any other octopus, the Mimic Octopus is an intelligent mollusk with a boneless body, eight arms, each with two rows of suction cups. It catches pray with its arms and kills with it's hard beak, or paralyzes prey with a nerve poison, then sucks out the flesh.

While all octopuses have the ability to change color and even texture to hide among rocks and blend in with the sea floor, the Mimic Octopus actually impersonates other animals. The long list of creatures it has been seen masquerading as includes jellyfish, mantis shrimp, sea snakes, brittle stars, and lionfish. 

It is believed that the Mimic Octopus developed its imitation technique to adapt to their environment, where they are prey as well as predator. Becoming a "poisonous" creature is often the best defense from being eaten by the many carnivorous sea creatures that patrol the waters. Mimicry also helps the Mimic Octopus sneak up on prey that would normally flee at the sight of an octopus; it can imitate a crab as a potential mate, only to devour the "suitor" it bamboozled.