Blue-ringed Octopus

For a golf-ball-sized animal, the Blue-ringed Octopus has a bite that packs a surprisingly powerful punch. Its salivary glands house bacteria that release paralyzing toxins capable of killing a human in twenty minutes. A skilled hunter, the octopus lurks in shallow tide pools along the western Pacific coastline, where it hunts for crab, fish, and mollusks. Some think it can stun its prey by spitting a cloud of toxic saliva at it, but we know that they kill their prey by injecting venom in a bite. When disturbed, the octopus changes color. Its dull brown resting color flashes brilliant blue rings.

The Field Museum houses an impressive collection of octopuses, snails, clams, and many other creatures. Currently, Museum scientists are using remotely operated and crewed submersibles to study animals that live in the deep sea. By comparing new specimens to those already in the Museum's collections, scientists can identify new species and begin to understand how life has radiated across our planet. Knowing that this little octopus uses its bacteria-produced toxin to kill reminds us that animals can have surprising attributes that we can't discover unless we study specimens.