Victims often don’t even feel it when they’ve been bitten by a blue-ringed octopus. These tiny cephalopods are only the size of a golf ball, but the amount of venom they carry is enough to kill 26 human adults. The key toxin in the mix is tetrodotoxin, which paralyzes the victim’s muscles, including their diaphragm. Once bitten, they have to be connected to a ventilator so that they can breathe. There is no known antivenom to treat the bite, meaning that those afflicted must wait for around 15 hours as the toxin wears off.
Some Kaiju close ups! Every day I’m amazed at how complex these animals are. It seems like overkill how many little jigsaw pieces go into them, especially their mouths, what’s up with that? A crayfish is a sarcastic rainbow of an animal with hard mean bits and sharp edges all over, with some nonsensical furry whiskers in seemingly random places and long graceful antennae that seem like more trouble than they’re worth.
Though they superficially resemble the common land dwelling insect the cockroach (and like the cockroach will consume anything in front of them) the crayfish does not scurry and hide when set upon but rather takes arms against a sea of troubles and endeavors (occasionally with success) to inflict bodily harm on the attacker. Though it stands little chance of winning, it ensures its captor’s victory is a costly one.
Every day I stop at her tank to feed her, and every day I admire her tenacity, ferocity, complexity and otherwordly beauty. Little Kaiju blue, little cherax quadricarinatus, I love you.
IMPRESSIVE NEW FLASHER WRASSES SPECIES FOUND IN THE INDO-PACIFIC
The species in the genus Paracheilinus are appropriately called flasher wrasses (or simply flashers), and they are very closely related to fairy wrasses of the genus Cirrhilabrus.
This common name is derived from their grandeur “flashing” behavior observed during courting or mating where the male will make quick, exaggerated lateral moves while intensifying his colors and erecting his fins to attract a mate.
Paracheilinus xanthocirritus - Currently known from the South China Sea at the Anambas Islands, Indonesia In the picture, two nuptial male Paracheilinus xanthocirritus
Paracheilinus paineorum with a wide distribution throughout central Indonesia in the picture a male courting female (left)
Paracheilinus alfianiis currently known only from the type locality on the northern coast of Lembata Island in the Lesser Sunda Group of Indonesia
