Nautilus

Abstract

Nautiluses are remnants of an ancient lineage that dates back nearly 500 million years. Extant nautiluses still exhibit many traits characteristic of the ancestral species. Nautilus culture systems should therefore take into account both the similarities between nautiloids and modern coleoids and the differences. Nautilus culture systems should be designed to maintain excellent water quality through effective filtration to promote good health. Nautiluses and coleoids differ primarily in their reproductive strategies. Whereas most coleoids are fast growing and semelparous, nautiluses grow slowly, mature later, and are iteroparous. Therefore, nautiluses may necessitate several years of care before becoming sexually mature. Successful reproduction and egg laying by a female yield only a maximum of ten eggs which take up to 1 year to develop and hatch. Currently, nautilus hatchlings have only been reared up to 1 year. The future of nautilus culture systems depends upon a better understanding of both wild and captive reproduction. The success of these culture systems would open up a brand new area of research utilizing different age groups and generations to investigate current and novel questions.