{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "nautilus",
  "name": "Chambered Nautilus",
  "scientificName": "Nautilus pompilius",
  "category": "Invertebrate",
  "summary": "The chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is a cephalopod often called a living fossil, whose relatives have looked much the same for hundreds of millions of years. It lives on deep reef slopes of the tropical Indo-Pacific inside a coiled shell about 20 to 25 cm across, drifting and swimming slowly by gentle jet propulsion. It scavenges and hunts shrimp, crabs, and carrion, can live 15 to 20 years, and is listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Mollusca",
    "class": "Cephalopoda",
    "order": "Nautilida",
    "family": "Nautilidae",
    "genus": "Nautilus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 1.3,
    "lengthM": 0.25,
    "topSpeedKmh": 3,
    "lifespanYears": 18
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Nautilus pompilius"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore and scavenger (shrimp, crabs, carrion)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Deep reef slopes of the tropical Indo-Pacific"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "15–20 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "Shell about 20–25 cm (8–10 in) across"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Slow; drifts by gentle jet propulsion"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Deep reef slopes of the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Andaman Sea to the waters around Australia and Fiji.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Nautilus pompilius.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Nautilus%20pompilius&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Nautilus pompilius. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nautilus_pompilius/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Chambered Nautilus.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambered_nautilus"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/nautilus/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/nautilus/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}