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nautilus
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nautilus Chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) with a spiral, brown-banded shell and visible tentacles resting on a bed of pebbles against a greenish background. chambered nautilus A nautilus mollusk with a spiral, brown-and-white striped shell and numerous white tentacles extending from its soft body, set against a dark background. chambered nautilus shell A vertical diagram shows five stages in the evolution of eye complexity in mollusks, from simple pigment spot and pigment cup eyes in Patella and Pleurotomaria, to a pinhole-lens eye in Nautilus, an eye with a primitive lens in Murex, and a complex camera-type eye in octopus and squid, with labeled structures such as epithelium, photoreceptor layer, optic nerve, retina, lens, cornea, and iris.
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Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
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nautilus: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: World Animal Rescue Network - Nautilus: Facts, Threats and Conservation. Sep 26, 2026
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A role for nautilus in studies of the evolution of brain and behavior. Mar 31, 2026
Add new Web site: NOAA Fisheries - Chambered Nautilus. Sep 05, 2025
Add new Web site: DigitalCommons at US - Notes on the Microstructure of the Nautilus Shell (PDF). Feb 28, 2025
Add new Web site: Academia - A molecular and karyological approach to the taxonomy of Nautilus. Jun 07, 2024
Add new Web site: University of California Museum of Paleontology - The Cephalopoda. Dec 15, 2023
Add new Web site: Nature - The genome of Nautilus pompilius illuminates eye evolution and biomineralization. May 27, 2023
Add new Web site: A-Z Animals - Nautilus. Apr 14, 2023
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Nautilus at Risk – Estimating population size and demography of Nautilus pompilius. Nov 23, 2018
Add new Web site: National Ocean Service - What is a Nautilus? Feb 21, 2018
Add new Web site: ThoughtCo. - 9 Fascinating Facts About the Nautilus. Jan 15, 2018
Add new Web site: Monterey Bay Aquarium - Chambered nautilus. Jul 06, 2017
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Nautilus at Risk – Estimating population size and demography of Nautilus pompilius. Jul 06, 2017
Add new Web site: The Association of Centers for the Study of Congress - National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Jul 06, 2017
Added image of a chambered nautilus. Feb 01, 2012
Media added. Aug 07, 2009
Article revised and updated. Nov 26, 2008
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Animals - Nautilus. May 28, 2008
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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