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The chambered Nautilus, or Nautilus pompilious, is one of the only organisms that only slightly changed over the last 550 million years (thus the prehistoric look). It is similar to other cephalopods in terms of tentacle structure and radial symmetry with the exception that there can be up to ninety. They are also lack tentacles and are retractable. 
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The chambered nautilus has an amazing defensive system. This 20cm creature uses it's ability to completely withdraw into it's shell along with its countershading. Its thick shell withstands depths up to 800m. Countershading is form of camoflage that uses a darker top to blend into the seafloor and a lighter bottom to blend with the sunlight.
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The nautilus has limited movement. It controls buoyancy by drawing in water and mixing salt and its gases. It uses jet propulsion to remain at 100-300m of depth (100m for feeding, mating, and reproduction). They live in coral reefs and along shorlines in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
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Nautilus' diet consists of shrimp, crustaceans and small fish. These noctural creatures only eat montly due to their efficient lifestyles. It primarily uses its sense of smell to get its tentacles hold of its prey. |
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Cehpalopoda
- Order: Nautilida
- Family: Nautilidae
- Genus: Nautilus
- Species: Pompilious
- The Nautilus reproduce by using four tentacles called "spadix" to transmit sperm to a female's mantle. They may mate annually during its 20 years of life. Fertilized eggs are planted on rocks to germinate. Growth occurs for 8 to 12 months. The new hatchlings are about 30mm in size.
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