Pearled Nautilus Shell

This nautilus shell has been polished to reveal the mother-of-pearl coloring.

Nautilus pompilius Linnaeus

This is the only species of the cephalopods with external true shells. It is large and possesses little weight. This nautilus shell is ivory white with red-brown zebra stripes. Most of the dark brown mark denoting the location of the animal in this shell has been removed. Nautilus shells were plentiful in the past, but only a few species can be found today.