blue-ringed octopus

British  

noun

1. a highly venomous octopus, Octopus maculosus , of E Australia which exhibits blue bands on its tentacles when disturbed

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Example Sentences

With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling.

From Science Daily

"We are fascinated by the mechanisms underpinning the blue-ringed octopus' ability to rapidly switch its skin markings between hidden and exposed states," said senior co-author Alon Gorodetsky, UCI professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

From Science Daily

Racks holding ink and containers of cotton swabs sat near rectangular sheets of white paper swatched with rows of inks, donated by sellers, with names including Blue-Ringed Octopus Blue and Gibson Les Paul Guitar Series Desert Burst.

From Washington Post

“The blue-ringed octopus, the marbled cone snail, the inland taipan snake, and...uh...the deathstalker scorpion.”

From Literature

Such is the case with this vividly colored blue-ringed octopus, filmed off the coast of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia.

From National Geographic