pearly nautilus

Nautilus pompilius

ORDER

Nautilida

FAMILY

Nautilidae

TAXONOMY

Nautilus pompilius Linnaeus, 1758.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Chambered nautilus, common nautilus, emperor nautilus, flame nautilus; French: Nautile chambré, nautile naturel; German: Perlboot, Schiffsboot; Italian: Nautilo.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

External chambered shell, umbilicus filled in with a concretion; eyes form images via a pinhole opening; funnel formed by overlapping flaps; flame-striped color pattern extending across nearly entire shell.

DISTRIBUTION

Indo-West Pacific.

HABITAT

Continental shelf and slope from near the surface to a depth of about 2,460 ft (750 m). Associated with hard ocean bottoms, particularly coral reefs. Undergoes diel vertical migrations.

BEHAVIOR

Activity primarily nocturnal.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Feeds on sedentary benthic prey and carrion (dead or decaying animal flesh).

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Reproduces repeatedly over a period of years; attaches large eggs with irregularly shaped coverings to hard substrates.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not listed by the IUCN. Of concern because of pressure from locally heavy fishing.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Fished for meat and shells, which are valuable to collectors.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: cephalopod of the Indian and Pacific oceans having a spiral shell with pale pearly partitions
  Synonyms: chambered nautilus, nautilus