Here at the National Marine Aquarium, we have built up a team of experts and as such are able to offer comment on a variety of issues, including but not exclusive to:
Please contact the Marketing Department on 01752 275238 who will be able to refer you directly to the correct person.
- Marine life
- Rare fishes
- Sharks
- Fisheries
- Marine conservation
- Marine environmental matters
- Climate change
- Animal Behaviour (With particular reference to cephalopods)
- Science Communication
Please contact the Marketing Department on 01752 275238 who will be able to refer you directly to the correct person.
National Marine Aquarium is a unique location for a variety of filming or photography projects.
Proposals will be considered on an individual basis and charges etc. will be project specific and applied at the discretion of the management.
For initial enquiries please contact the Marketing Department on 01752 275238 or email media@national-aquarium.co.uk
Toxic Tiddlers have Killer Bite
With venom so powerful it can kill a human with a single bite the blue ringed octopus is among the most dangerous marine creatures in the world and they’re coming to Plymouth. But local divers can rest assured because these deadly cephalopods will be safely under lock and key at the National Marine Aquarium.
The larger of these toxic tiddlers, Hapalochlaena lunulata, grows to no more than 20 cm across while the smaller, more common Hapalochlaena maculosa, weighs a mere 28 grams and carry enough poison to kill 26 adults in minutes. There is no known antidote to its venom and once bitten, the only chance of survival is 24 hr heart massage while the toxin works its way out of the body apparently leaving no side affects.
Starting life the size of a pea and growing to roughly the size of a golf ball, these little ones are the antithesis to the Aquarium’s other new arrival, the giant pacific octopus, and they’re no ordinary animal either. For a start like all octopuses most of their vital organs are inside their heads, they have no bones or cartilage, just a chitinous beak which they use to capture and tear up food. The Giant Pacific Octopus’s arms can grow up to six feet in length giving them an arm span of up to 16ft but the really amazing thing about octopuses is their intelligence.
Paul Cox, Head of Science and Learning at the Aquarium specialised in Cephalopods during his university studies, he said:
“Octopus have incredibly complex brains and can demonstrate some extraordinary feats of intelligence – they learn quickly, they have personalities, they use tools and they play – that’s not bad for a glorified slug.”
Octopuses are renowned for their intelligence and studies have shown that they can solve complex puzzles and problems including opening a jar to retrieve food, there have even been reports that they are able to mimic other octopuses.
The brain training may have to wait however, because these amazing creatures will need to settle into their new homes before being revealed to the public. Watch this space.
The larger of these toxic tiddlers, Hapalochlaena lunulata, grows to no more than 20 cm across while the smaller, more common Hapalochlaena maculosa, weighs a mere 28 grams and carry enough poison to kill 26 adults in minutes. There is no known antidote to its venom and once bitten, the only chance of survival is 24 hr heart massage while the toxin works its way out of the body apparently leaving no side affects.
Starting life the size of a pea and growing to roughly the size of a golf ball, these little ones are the antithesis to the Aquarium’s other new arrival, the giant pacific octopus, and they’re no ordinary animal either. For a start like all octopuses most of their vital organs are inside their heads, they have no bones or cartilage, just a chitinous beak which they use to capture and tear up food. The Giant Pacific Octopus’s arms can grow up to six feet in length giving them an arm span of up to 16ft but the really amazing thing about octopuses is their intelligence.
Paul Cox, Head of Science and Learning at the Aquarium specialised in Cephalopods during his university studies, he said:
“Octopus have incredibly complex brains and can demonstrate some extraordinary feats of intelligence – they learn quickly, they have personalities, they use tools and they play – that’s not bad for a glorified slug.”
Octopuses are renowned for their intelligence and studies have shown that they can solve complex puzzles and problems including opening a jar to retrieve food, there have even been reports that they are able to mimic other octopuses.
The brain training may have to wait however, because these amazing creatures will need to settle into their new homes before being revealed to the public. Watch this space.
Notes to Editors:
The octopuses are currently in Quarantine at the Aquarium and will be revealed to the public on Tuesday 19th August, subject to the Curators’ final decision. Time to be confirmed.
The octopuses are currently in Quarantine at the Aquarium and will be revealed to the public on Tuesday 19th August, subject to the Curators’ final decision. Time to be confirmed.
