AOTW #1: Nautilus

AOTW: Animal of The Week. I'm gonna have one post every week on a different marine organism. This week I chose a very unique family of mollusks to kick off this series. The Nautilus! The family Nautilidae is made up of many different species of cephalopods, most of which have coiled shells. These tentacled critters have been jetting through the earth's oceans since the Triassic period, and they haven't changed very much since then. There is one very special characteristic these organisms have that set them apart from other cephalopods.

This odd characteristic has led the species in the Nautilus family to be dubbed "chambered nautilus." Why chambered? I'll explain. The inside of the a nautilus' shell is divided into chambers, called camerae, which act as ballast tanks when the nautilus wants to sink deeper into the water (in which case the camerae are either filled with fluid, or the gas inside is released) or if it wants to float closer to the surface.

Like most cephalopods, nautilae use a jet-like locomotion system which consists of sucking and expelling water through the hyponome, which is located in the opening of the shell below the tentacles. The hyponome is a tube-like organ under the body of the nautilus, and its sole purpose is for propulsion. Also like most cephalopods, this mode of movement also means that a nautilus moves through the water backwards. They can move very fast when threatened, but usually nautilae just slowly scoot around in the open ocean.

How do they know where they're going? Well, they can't see very well. Their eyes do not have a solid lens like most animals, so they rely more upon olfactory (smell) sense to find food and mates. Nevertheless, this sensory setback obviously doesn't affect the nautilus' life span. They can live up to 20 years, which is a lot longer than most cephalopods.

OM NOM NOM NOM, says the nautilus. Nautiluses are predators, and they mainly feed upon shrimp, small fish, and crustaceans. They use their tentacles to snag their prey. Though their meals may seem small to you, they don't need to eat more than once a month. This is because very little energy is used while they swim.

Alright. There is my explanation of these awesome creatures. If I have not satisfied you with my plethora of knowledge about these enthralling animals, go here. I hope you have enjoyed, and leave comments with suggestions, or any questions you may have! Thanks for reading, and have a good evening. Or morning, depending on where you are hailing from.