Blue-Ringed Octopus
Hapalochlaena lunulata
Sighting evidence at Labuanbajo Night Reef, Flores
Photo: uwkwaj · CC BY-NC
The greater blue-ringed octopus emerges reliably on night dives around Labuanbajo's rubble and mixed sand slopes, its iridescent electric-blue rings flashing a vivid warning when it feels disturbed. Despite carrying venom potent enough to kill a human and delivering it through a bite smaller than a pinprick, blue-ringed octopus are passive and fascinating subjects for macro photography when approached with care and without touching. Labuanbajo's relatively undisturbed shallow rubble zones are ideal habitat, and multiple individuals are often found on a single guided night dive.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Blue-Ringed Octopus is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.