Pearl Nautilus in cross-section Taxidermy full body mount - Nautilus pompilius - 12 cm - 9 cm - 6.2 cm - 1

Nautilus is a genus of cephalopods, a class of mollusks that also includes octopuses, belonging to the family Nautilidae. They are considered true "living fossils," a term now outdated used to define certain species of animals or plants that are still alive today but that present morpho-anatomical and structural characteristics typical of ancient organisms millions of years old. The animal was considered extinct following fossil finds dating back to the Paleozoic, and its discovery left many paleontologists and zoologists astonished. In fact, it was observed alive for the first time only in 1829, although in reality its shell was sometimes found by fishermen in the East Indies and, given its beauty and rarity, it had already been widely used in the 17th century to make jewelry.
Nautiluses are typically found in shallow waters in tropical seas, mainly in the Indo-Pacific, and feed on crustaceans and mollusks. The Nautilus is equipped with a large spiral shell that can reach over 20 centimeters in diameter. The shell's opening is positioned at the top, and from it one can observe a soft body with large eyes and fleshy tentacles with a horn-beaked beak very similar to that of octopuses. Most of these tentacles are attached at the base to a sort of "sheath" from which the Nautilus can retract them in case of danger. The shell has a smooth, pearly surface; it is thin and smooth, and its main feature is its logarithmic spiral. What makes this large structure even more incredible, in some species made of mother-of-pearl, is that it is composed of a series of connected chambers with a channel that links them. Through it passes a nitrogen-containing gas that aids the animal’s buoyancy through appropriate pressure adjustments.
A very beautiful lot: Nautilus pompilius, sectioned, pearly, the chambers perfectly visible, showing the splendid architecture of this beautiful specimen.
The measurements refer to the non-sectioned Nautilus
Stand not included.
A necessary clarification. The final image in our photographic gallery is obtained with the help of AI software.
The purpose is purely aesthetic but still exemplary: it shows the real object inside an artificially generated setting.
The goal is to show how precious the items in the auction are and how well they look in different, highly refined environments.
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