I didn't hear about this!
"All Octopuses Are Venomous, Study Says"
"AUSTRALIA'S TINY BLUE-RINGED octopus has long had a venomous reputation—one bite can kill an adult human in minutes. But now it seems the rest of the eight-legged species' relatives are not as harmless as once thought.
According to a new study, all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous."
"The (research) team focused on three species found in northeastern and southern Australian seas: the blue-ringed octopus, the sand octopus, and the reef cuttlefish.
In addition to finding venom proteins, the team discovered that the venom genes from all three species seem to come from a common ancestor. Octopus venom also appears to contain similar proteins to those in other poisonous creatures such as snakes."
(Copy and pasted) Via National Geographic
nationalgeographic.com/animals/2009/04/octopus-venom-hunting-cephalopod
