Palau – 2012 – 5 dollars – Blue Ringed Octopus (including box) (PROOF)

Description

Metal Silver .925
Weight 25 g
Size 38.61 mm
Quality Proof
Mintage 1500
The intensive blue-ringed colouring makes the octopus shine in the Pacific Ocean. However, it’s venom is one of the most fatal in the world.
Although the blue-ringed octopus only reaches a maximum body length of about 50 millimetres it is one of the most poisonous animals in the world. By nature very shy, high tides sometimes wash it into small pools and salt water accumulations where it hunts small crabs and live clams. This is where unaware humans find them, pick them up and get bitten by the cephalopod. The bite itself is not very painful but after only a few minutes, amongst other symptomes, paralysis of the pectoral muscle occurs which can lead to respiratory failure. Sometimes people even tease the octopus deliberately because they only show their intensive colouring when they are under stress.
Blow fish also possess the bite-injected poison (Tetrodotoxin) which takes a strong effect on the nervous system and paralyses it. The blue ringed octopus does not produce its poison itself but rather is produced by germs in its intestine
and its salivary glands. Shortly after mating, the male dies, whereas the female dies after the eggs hatch. The female only lays eggs once in her lifetime.