blue ring octopus

[divewsharks]

Are Blue Ring Octopus legal to import into the US? I was at King Aquarium in SJ today and they have two blue ring octos for sale for $40/ea.

[dragon_slayer]

yes it's legal to import/own/keep them.

I've even seen them displayed in lfs's in open tanks where some fool could put a hand in and...................

kc

[Gonodactylus]

Obviously there is no current restriction on importanting blue-rings. Dozens have come into the US in the past couple of weeks. On the other hand, the U.S. Patriot Act controls the possesion of TTX as a potentially dangerous bio-toxin. As I understand it, if you have a blue-ring alive, it is legal. However, if you preserve it or extract the TTX, it is illegal. I guess you could slip one down someone's shorts with immunity, but if you extracted the TTX and injected it into a person, you would have had violated the Patriot Act.

Roy

[jokermgp]

Don't worry, it won't be long before the current administration strips away our rights to slip venemous mollucs down our pants. It'll be just another example of our rights eroding away...

Cheers...Michael

[Grayout]

they are beautiful organisms but i cant see taking the risk. pretty crazy.

[moggyhill]

There are all kinds of venomous things down some peoples pants!

[ozadars]

I would like to keep one (although I am not recommending it to other people) but I am not willing to try as they only live just a couple of months.
I would not really worry about him biting me but I would worry about mom touching him when bro escapes from the tank.. I would never forgive my mom for touching him, they have very sensitive skins :P

Seriously, if one were to escape and bite someone in the house (sure someone needs to touch or handle first), I can never forgive myself. Their lifes are much important than mine.

[moggyhill]

was that your mom that has the sensitive skin or the octopus?

[ozadars]

Originally posted by ozadars
they have very sensitive skins

I have one mom

[AQUAN8TOR]

LOLLOL

A guy I used to know had a bluering in his reef. Died a few months later......it was a female holding sperm; she laid eggs which I suppose were eaten. He had no business with a tank period, let alone a bluering. Fishkiller, coralkiller.

Anyone with pics of their bluerings???
I've got a customer that would like a bimac, and keeps asking about bluerings. I won't get them, neither will the owner of the shop I manage.

I'm always one to play the risktaker, ADD and all, but why tempt fate with something that's going to kill you if you mess up?

Sorry to sound like a party pooper here, but c'mon.....I kinda agree that this is a species that should be put under the dangerous species act. At least a permit should be required. A certain amount of liability rests, and is absent from too many retailers, and surely with wholesalers. How would you feel if you sold someone a bluering and they got bitten and couldn't be revived????? I personally wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Maybe I'm a bit to empathetic and too worked up here, (I sound like my father).


Just my 2c. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm sure you guys and gals will be o.k. with the bluering.

[CapFusion]

This thread is old and let it rest.
Whomever request one, tell them you lose too many customer from this species alone.

[OceanRidge]

some things i heard bout blue rings

1> Can be bought in the US
2. Can be deadly, only 31 people have died from bite, can take a half hour, but depends on where bite is.
3. Itll only live to be around 2 yrs old
4. If it inks, it could mess up your whole tank

[ozadars]

Originally posted by OceanRidge
some things i heard bout blue rings

1> Can be bought in the US
2. Can be deadly, only 31 people have died from bite, can take a half hour, but depends on where bite is.
3. Itll only live to be around 2 yrs old
4. If it inks, it could mess up your whole tank

I think can take much less than 30mins to die after the bite but it depends on lots of things.
They live around 6-8 months.
I dont think the ink can mess up your whole tank if you have a good skimmer.

[Gonodactylus]

Let me comment on these four points.

1) True, you can buy them in the use. Many suppliers have decided not to import them, buy several still do. There are no regulations regarding the import or selling of blue-rings in the US.

2) I don't know where this figure came from. The number of confirmed deaths is closer to 5 or 6. The location of the bite as well as the amount of TTX that gets into the person determins the severity of the bite. Death can be as fast as a few mintues or take several hours. Since death is caused by suffocation. support measures will also effect this.

3) H. lunulata, the only species being imported and sold in the US is under a year.

4) Most Hapalochlaena don't ink. In fact, it used to be diagnostic of the genus that they has reduced ink sacs. H. lunulata will produce a small amount of ink and an undescribed species I have been studying produces lots of ink. We don't know how toxic the ink is.

[km133688]

I won't keep anything even mildly poisonis. You keep that octopus, you better call you insurance company cause if something happens your homeowners insurance might not cover it because you failed to tell them you had a "dangerous" animal as a pet. I also have kids with exploring hands and fingers. Good luck.