# Nautilus

The Nautilus is a fascinating sea creature that lives in a beautiful spiral shell. It uses jet propulsion to move through the ocean and has been around for millions of years.

- **Category:** [Animal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/animal)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Deep Sea
- **Also known as:** Chambered Nautilus

![Nautilus](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425921/objects/6259.jpg)

## Appearance

The Nautilus has a striking spiral shell, often white with orange or brown zebra-like stripes. Its head features many small, retractable tentacles and two simple, pinhole eyes, distinct from other shelled cephalopods.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Mollusca
- **Class:** Cephalopoda
- **Order:** Nautilida
- **Family:** Nautilidae
- **Genus:** Nautilus

## Interesting facts

- A nautilus has up to 90 tentacles, but none have suction cups like an octopus!
- Its shell is so strong it can withstand crushing pressures from the deep ocean!
- Nautilus eyes are simple pinholes, like an ancient camera, not complex lenses!
- They don't make ink like squids or octopuses; their shell is their only defense!

## Special abilities

- **Buoyancy Master:** Nautilus can fill internal shell chambers with gas to float or water to sink, controlling its depth perfectly.
- **Jet-Powered Navigator:** Nautilus can squirt water from a funnel for quick bursts of jet propulsion, helping it escape danger or move.
- **Deep-Sea Sniffer:** Nautilus has over 90 tentacles with chemosensory abilities to detect food, even in the dark ocean depths.
- **Living Armor:** Nautilus has a strong, calcified shell that provides excellent protection from most predators in its habitat.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 20 cm
- **Weight:** 1.5 kg
- **Lifespan:** 15 years
- **Maximum Depth:** 100-700

## Diet & Feeding

Nautiluses are scavengers and predators of small ocean creatures, dining on what they find.

- **Primary Foods:** Small crabs, Hermit crabs, Dead fish, Shrimp
- **Foraging Method:** Scavenging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Oceanic Whitetip Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oceanic-whitetip-shark) (*Carcharhinus longimanus*) — A known predator of deep-sea cephalopods.
- **Eaten by:** Common Octopus (*Octopus vulgaris*) — Octopuses sometimes prey on nautiluses.
- **Eats:** Flower Crab (*Portunus pelagicus*) — Nautilus scavenges on dead or weak crabs.
- **Eats:** Pacific White Shrimp (*Litopenaeus vannamei*) — A common food source for the nautilus.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Deep Sea](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deep-sea): Deep sea habitats are characterized by extreme pressure, darkness, and cold temperatures, supporting unique life forms below the sunlit zone.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
- [Regenerative](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/regenerative): Regenerative organisms possess the ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts, tissues, or organs.
- [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates)
- [Marine Life](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/marine-life)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

If you ever see a Nautilus, admire it from a distance as they are delicate creatures.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Nautilus?

Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Nautilus?

20 cm

### How much does Nautilus weigh?

1.5 kg

### How long does Nautilus live?

15 years

### What does Nautilus eat?

Nautiluses are scavengers and predators of small ocean creatures, dining on what they find.

### Where is Nautilus usually found?

Deep Sea

### How does Nautilus hunt?

Scavenging

### How deep can Nautilus go?

100-700

## More Animal

- [Coquina](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coquina) (*Gymnoscelis coquina*)
- [Crystal Jelly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crystal-jelly) (*Aequorea forskalea Péron &*)
- [Sea Anemone](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sea-anemone) (*unclassified Amphianthus (in: sea anemones)*)
- [Ochre Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ochre-sea-star) (*pisaster ochraceus*)

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Source: [Nautilus: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/nautilus)