Hapalochlaena lunulata-Blue Ringed Octopus
Nutrition
How do the Blue-Ringed Octopus eat?
The blue-ringed octopus mostly feeds on small crabs, hermits, and shrimp. They eat these types of organisms in the daytime but at night (when they usually hunt) eat fish and crustaceans. They have two types of venom that are used for two reasons. One is for getting food and the other is for prey and predators. The one that is used for capturing food is less toxic than the one used for self-defense. The toxin is in the salvia of the blue-ringed octopus; either the venom is released into the water or bites the animals directly. When the prey is dead, the octopus consumes it with their beak-like mouth.
The digestive system of the blue-ringed octopus is a two way system consisting of a mouth and anus. They also have a closed circulatory system; using its gills to filter oxygen so they are able to breathe underwater. It also has three hearts; one main heart and two smaller ones by their gills. The two smaller hearts pumps blood to the gills where it dumps the waste and loads up on the oxygen. They take that blood and pump it to the main heart, which pumps it to the rest of the body. Their nervous system is highly complex. Brain, nerve cords, and neurons are the basics of the nervous system in the blue-ringed octopus. This type of octopus has no skeletal system; making them so flexible. They have special muscles on their arms and tentacles which are called muscular hydrostat.
