Photo: Hans Hillewaert · Image source ·CC BY-SA 4.0
Animal profile · Mollusks · nautilus
Chambered nautilus
Nautilus pompilius
The chambered nautilus is a tentacled cephalopod with a hard, coiled shell. It moves through deep coastal waters by controlling gas and water in the shell's chambers.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Deep reef slopes and coastal waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; values are left unreported.
Size
Shell typically 13–23 cm (5–9 in) at maturity
About the size of a dinner plate
Lifespan
Usually 15–20 years or more
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It is mostly nocturnal and uses chemical sensors on its tentacles to find food. Jet propulsion from its hyponome helps it move through the water.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Western Pacific and coastal Indian Ocean waters, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Pacific islands.
Regions: western Pacific Ocean · coastal Indian Ocean · Pacific Islands
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It uses its many tentacles and beak-like mouth to locate and eat animal prey.
carnivore: fish, crabs, lobsters, dead animals.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Ancient design
Its chambered shell lets it control buoyancy while also protecting the animal.
Sources [1]
Long-lived cephalopod
Unlike most cephalopods, it can live for roughly two decades.
Sources [1]