# Chambered Nautilus (*Nautilus pompilius*)

> The chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is a living fossil cephalopod with a coiled shell and pinhole camera eyes. Adults reach 25 cm shell diameter and are listed Vulnerable.

- **Category:** Invertebrate
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Vulnerable
- **Range:** Deep Indo-Pacific reefs including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chambered-nautilus/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

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

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Nautilus pompilius |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Deep reef slopes |
| Lifespan | 15–20 years |
| Weight | 0.5–1 kg |
| Top speed | up to 3 km/h |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |

## Jet-propelled living fossil

A coiled shell with gas-filled chambers controls buoyancy. Simple pinhole eyes and dozens of tentacles without suckers suit slow scavenging on reefs at night.

## Carrion and crustacean scavenger

Smell-driven foraging finds dead fish and molts on reef slopes. Maturity is late; females lay few eggs per year.

## Deep Indo-Pacific slopes

Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Australia to about 500 m. Daylight depth retreats; night migrations bring them shallower.

## Vulnerable to shell trade

IUCN lists chambered nautilus Vulnerable. Harvest for the ornamental shell trade and slow reproduction depleted many populations.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are nautiluses living fossils?

Their lineage dates back hundreds of millions of years with relatively little shell change.

### How do nautiluses control buoyancy?

Gas and fluid in shell chambers adjust flotation like a submarine.

### Why is the chambered nautilus Vulnerable?

Shell collecting, slow growth, and few offspring per year cannot sustain heavy harvest.

### Do nautiluses have good eyesight?

Pinhole eyes produce fuzzy images — they rely heavily on smell.

### Where are nautilus shells sold?

Tourist and curio markets across the Indo-Pacific — a key threat to wild populations.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chambered-nautilus/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.