4/4/2023 0 Comments Blastopore blue ringed octopus(Related: "Toxic Snail Venoms Yielding New Painkillers, Drugs.")įindings published this month in the Journal of Molecular Evolution. That's because many animal venoms have already shown promise for treating ailments such as pain, allergies, and cancer. Knowing more about the properties that make specific chemical brews work as toxins could aid in human drug design, the study authors say. Protostome blastopore forms the mouth in all animals except echinoderms. The blue-ringed octopus has 'enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes.' Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to. Chiton Chiton Reef Squid Cuttlefish Blue-ring octopus Chambered nautilus. The video received over eight million views and over one million likes. "It shows how little we know about the biology and physiology of these animals," Fry said.īy studying proteins from various cephalopods, the researchers hope to understand why so many different toxic creatures seem to share a similar basic venom chemistry. A woman posted a video of herself unknowingly holding one of the most venomous animals in the world. Octopus venom also appears to contain similar proteins to those in other poisonous creatures such as snakes. In addition to finding venom proteins, the team discovered that the venom genes from all three species seem to come from a common ancestor. The team focused on three species found in northeastern and southern Australian seas: the blue-ringed octopus, the sand octopus, and the reef cuttlefish. Common Ancestorįry and colleagues collected tissue samples from hundreds of cephalopod species during several expeditions in the waters around the Great Barrier Reef, Hong Kong, and Antarctica. The work might also have implications for medical research, according to the study authors. Scientists have known that octopuses use their beaks to drill into shelled prey, such as clams, but no one was sure just how octopuses kill their victims. The find helps explain a long-standing mystery as to how exactly octopuses hunt and kill, said study leader Bryan Fry, a venom researcher at the University of Melbourne's Department of Biochemistry. But the 5- to 8-inch (12.7- to 20.3-centimeter) blue-ring remains the only one dangerous to humans. The largest known octopus species, the giant Pacific octopus, can reach sizes of more than 16 feet (5 meters) across. But now it seems the rest of the eight-legged species' relatives are not as harmless as once thought.Īccording to a new study, all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. It is even speculated that they don’t need to bite their prey at all. One type of toxin is used to kill the prey and the other is used as a defense. Australia's tiny blue-ringed octopus has long had a venomous reputation-one bite can kill an adult human in minutes. Biting with their beak and releasing their neurotoxin via saliva, the blue-ringed octopus will wait until the victim is rendered useless before consuming.
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