Summary
Specimen label reads "This specimen bit and caused paralysis in its captor".
The danger of this highly venomous species was not known until this specimen was collected. On Christmas Day 1962, Arthur Thompson, then 33, was bitten on the hand by this Southern Blue-ringed Octopus at Ricketts Point, Beaumaris in Port Phillip Bay. He was taken to the Alfred Hospital Clinical Research Unit where he was respired for about an hour after he became paralysed and stopped breathing. After this he recovered and was discharged the following day.
Specimen Details
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Taxon Name
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Author and date of publication
(Hoyle, 1883)
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Preferred Common name
Southern Blue-ringed Octopus
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Other Common Names
Blue-ring Octopus, Lesser Blue-ringed Octopus
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Identified By
J H. Macpherson
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Number Of Specimens
1
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Sex
Unknown
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Specimen Nature
Form: Wet, Medium: ethanol 70%
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Collected By
A Thompson
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Date Visited From
25/12/1962
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Date Visited To
25/12/1962
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Category
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Scientific Group
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Discipline
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Collecting Areas
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Type of Item
Taxonomy
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Phylum
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Class
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Subclass
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Order
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Suborder
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
maculosa
