Photo: Comingio Merculiano (1845–1915) in Jatta Giuseppe · Image source ·Public domain
Animal profile · Mollusks · argonaut
Greater argonaut
Argonauta argo
The greater argonaut is a pelagic octopus that drifts near the ocean surface. Females make a delicate eggcase that resembles a thin paper shell.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Open surface waters of warm-temperate and tropical seas.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; values are left unreported.
Size
Female shell up to about 30 cm (12 in); males about 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in)
The female's shell can be as wide as a dinner plate
Lifespan
Not established in the wild
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
Females are much larger than males and usually live alone. The female uses two arms to form and hold her eggcase while the other arms help her swim.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Circumglobal in tropical and warm-temperate seas.
Regions: Atlantic Ocean · Indian Ocean · Pacific Ocean
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It catches small drifting animals near the surface.
carnivore: plankton, small mollusks, small crustaceans, jellyfish.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Shell-making octopus
The female secretes a thin, ribbed eggcase that looks like a shell but is not a permanent body shell.
Sources [1] [2]
Tiny males
Males are dramatically smaller than females, reaching only about two centimeters in total length.
Sources [1]