[img]http://www.seasky.org/reeflife/images/octopus_blue_ring.jpg[/img]
The Blue Ring Octopus.

Fully grown these marine animals are smaller than your hand, 10-20cm [4-8"] in diameter with tentacles extended and a yellow/brown colour, perhaps with brown bands.

When angry brilliant blue rings appear on its body, though that may be too late to warn you or your children.

It's often found near the shoreline or in rocky pools, hunting crabs.

If it's picked up or trodden on it'll bite with a little beak in the mid-underside of its body.
The bite may not be noticed immediately, but pain followed by severe breathing difficulties, nausea and paralysis will clarify matters soon enough.

The Blue-Ringed Octopus also releases venom into the water surrounding it.

Avoidance:

Don't touch, poke, play with or stand on any blobby animals near or on beach!

Symptoms:

Within ten minutes of the bite, nausea, vomiting, extreme pain, vision problems, numbness, muscular weakness, severe breathing difficulties, nausea and floppy paralysis.

Treatment:

- reassure the victim and keep him still.
- quickly wrap a light bandage above and below the bite [if you can't get two fingers under the bandage, it's too tight].
- Immobilize/splint the bitten area and keep it at heart level [gravity-neutral] if possible. Too high causes venom to travel to the heart, too low causes more swelling.
- Do not drink alcohol, or take any medicine or food.
- Take victim to medical facilities urgently.
- You may have to assist with mouth-mouth ventilation.  *smooch*

Can you still move?

Does it make for exciting sushi?

45 grain varmint ammo.