User:DanDurbz/Blue-lined octopus

Lead
This benthic octopus is one of four members of the genus Hapalochlaena, with the other species being the greater blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata), southern blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa), and the blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena nierstraszi). The blue-lined octopus is the only species of the four to display lined iridescent blue marking, as opposed to circular iridescent blue marking that the three other species tend to exhibit.

Behavior
The blue-lined octopus are known to be nocturnal hunters, while other species in the genus such as the greater blue-ringed octopus (H. Lunulata) are known to be diurnal hunter. Prey for blue-lined octopus mostly consists of crustaceans and stomatopods, however in captivity they have been recorded to eat live fish, suggesting they do in the wild as well.

Features
The blue-lined octopus is about the size of a golf ball, having a mantle length of 45mm, it is the smallest out of the four species that make up the genus. While at rest blue-lined octopus are highly camouflaged, due to the presence of chromatophores under the skin they can rapidly change body coloration, using aposematic signals to display bright blue lines to predators. When it is resting, Its passive colors range from a light grey to beige. The visceral hump in blue-lined octopus is regularly pointed. When looking at blue-lined octopus they portray sexual dimorphism, along with this females tend to weight more than males.

Reproduction
During breeding male blue-lined octopus will mount females, they do not extend the hectocotylus and mate from a distance like other octopus species. After fertilization of the eggs occurs they are not attached to the substratum, instead they are carried in a basket formed by the the mothers web and upturned arms, While females brood they do not feed, after the eggs hatch they expire shortly after. These eggs are large and can produce benthic hatchlings, development for these hatchlings takes about two months.

Lethality
This tetrodotoxin known as TTX has been located in the posterior salivatory gland, anterior salvatory gland, arm, mantle, digestive glands, testes, brachial heart, nephridia, gill, and oviducal gland in blue-lined octopuses. With TTX being located in the brachial heart, nephridia, and gills it suggests that there is a transport mechanism for TTX in the blood. TTX is known to be one of the most powerful marine biotoxins to humans, this toxin is released through a bite, or ingestion. Furthermore Hapalochlaena is the only genus to produce this biotoxin, which is though to have played an important role in the evolution of this species.

Habitat
Blue-lined octopus are commonly found off the coast of Australia inhabiting shallow tropical and subtropical reef waters. However in recent years they have been found to distribute throughout the Pacific Ocean. They have been recorded of the east coast of Japan, as well as off the the coast of Jeju Island in Korea in 2015. This can suggest that the warming of ocean water has caused a shift in suitable habitat for these octopus, this shift is important to monitor as if can aid is public health and safety.