New Study Shows All Octopuses Have Venom

Naturalists now seem to have changed their long-term views, when some of their representatives have said that all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squids are venomous, despite popular belief. While creatures such as the blue-ringed octopus are known for the neurotoxins they pack, little has been suspected about the other species' abilities in this matter. Now, experts say that all of these animals actually came from a single, venomous ancestor, which passed on these traits to single species, but which have evolved to a number of fairly different creatures in millions of years.

The new find could hold major implications for the drug industry, which may thus benefit from more, new test material. “Venoms are toxic proteins with specialized functions such as paralyzing the nervous system. We hope that by understanding the structure and mode of action of venom proteins we can benefit drug design for a range of conditions such as pain management, allergies and cancer,” University of Melbourne expert Bryan Fry explained, as quoted by LiveScience.

One reason why discovering that all the octopuses other than the blue-ringed ones are venomous as well took so long could be the fact that most species are not harmful to humans. The blue-ringed kind can easily kill a fully grown adult, by paralyzing all of their muscles, including those that power the lungs. All others simply use their venom to stun and force clams to open their shells. The type of toxins they employ for this job may be of great use to the field of medicine, which hopes to discover new compounds that could be used to treat a wide range of human medical conditions.

“Not only will this allow us to understand how these animals have assembled their arsenals, but it will also allow us to better exploit them in the development of new drugs from venoms. It does not seem a coincidence that some of the same protein types have been recruited for use as toxins across the animal kingdom,” Fry also added. A scientific paper detailing the find has appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of Molecular Evolution.

During his studies, Fry analyzed cuttlefish, squids and octopuses from around the world, and concluded that the same type of protein was endemic to all of them. This was most likely the legacy that their common ancestors left them, he said. Over millions of years of evolution, other proteins were also added to the first complex and each of the species developed its own type of specific venom.