CUTE BUT DEADLY: Beware the Blue-Ringed Octopus

Mystery writers are always looking for new ways to kill off characters. So, I was fascinated to discover this story.

An unnamed Australian woman was bitten multiple times by a blue-ringed octopus and lived to tell about it. Which, apparently, is a big deal because the toxin released by the tiny cephalopod -- tetrodotoxin -- frequently leads to respiratory arrest and death.

Scientists have no idea why she survived the ordeal.

The blue-ringed octopus is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (not advised), and gets its name because of the tiny rings on its surface that flash iridescent blue when the critter is frightened.

I've used this fascinating trivia in the sixth book of The Strange Files series, Strange Timing.