Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) has warned regarding multiple sightings of a venomous octopus in Maldivian waters.
MMRI said the Blue-ringed Octopus has been sighted across the Maldives in recent days. The octopus is smaller in size compared to other octopuses found in Maldivian waters. When threatened, bright blue rings appear all over its body as a warning signal to potential predators.
The octopus, which is not native to the Maldives, produces a potentially deadly substance which it uses when hunting. If bitten, the neurotoxin it produces blocks nerve signals throughout the body, causing muscle numbness. As its bite is usually painless, one might not know they've been bitten until symptoms such as nausea, vision loss or blindness, loss of senses and loss of motor skills appear.
