bajajudy - 4-6-2006 at 09:49 AM
Just back from a walk on the beach with the dogs
Surf?s up! 4 to 5 footers. Northerly blowing so strong that the sea mist never touched us. As a matter of fact, the spray was making rainbows
behind the waves. Quite beautiful.
The sea looked like a tray of loose diamonds, it was so brilliant.
It is the time of year for the Paper Nautilus. They become stranded on the receding tides. I have no earthly idea how they survive the ride in but
they do. They really should be called tissue paper nautilus, the shell is so fragile. As we began seeing them, we tried to put them back into the
water if the animal was still alive. And what a strange looking animal they are. They look like a squid and considering the size of the shells are
huge. They have eyes, or at least one and what looks like an arm. Of all the ones we put back into the water, only one had washed back up dead when
we made our return trip. That made us feel pretty good!
Here is a photo of some that we found last year. The largest one is about 1 ? inches across. The ones we were seeing today were at least 3 inches
across?.huge by comparison.
[Edited on 4-6-2006 by bajajudy]
Paper Nautilus
Jack Swords - 4-6-2006 at 12:57 PM
Hola Judy,
We have spent the last 7 years collecting a variety of the paper nautilus. The animal is an octopus, not attached to the "shell", but holding on.
The "shell" is actually an egg case and the female is using it to protect the eggs. Once the eggs are hatched, she no longer needs the shell and it
sometimes washes up on the beach. I have one that is over 10 inches in diameter. There are different species and some have lateral spines extending
from each side, some have a very narrow top ridge, while others have a wider ridge. The living ones that wash on the beach are usually eaten by
seagulls, and they also break open the shells to see if there are any eggs left. I had one in a saltwater aquarium in the marina next to my boat and
photographed it over a week's period while the eggs hatched. Under my microscope the little octopuses were perfectly formed and even had flashing
color chromatophores. So Judy, each living nautilus you return to the sea is actually full of hundreds of the next generation.
bajalera - 4-6-2006 at 01:08 PM
Interesting stuff. Thanks, Judy & Jack!
bajajudy - 4-6-2006 at 02:44 PM
Jeez, I was supposed to be working but this learning new stuff is fun.
After extensive research on the internet I have determined that these are Argonauta cornuta.
Thanks Jack.
You decide
bajajudy - 4-6-2006 at 02:51 PM
These are the ones I found. The previous picture was taken from the internet
Sharksbaja - 4-6-2006 at 03:05 PM
I believe those are one and the same Judy. I have seen 5" specimens taken off Catalina Is when I lived there. The nautilus is rarely found that far
north. They are usually found in deeper tropical waters in the sw pacific ocean where they forage for live food on the bottom. The animals I saw were
taken in free water as they will sometimes swim with the currents near the surface.
They are awesome creatures related to squid and octowimps. Mucho gusto! Nice photography Judy. I love the dark background and the shells seem to
glow. Good work!
bajajudy - 4-7-2006 at 08:29 AM
Just back from our walk and took the camera today.
Here is a shot of the only paper nautilus we saw today. Put her back into the water and didnt see her again. So hopefully she survived.
[Edited on 4-7-2006 by bajajudy]
bajajudy - 4-7-2006 at 08:33 AM
Uno mas