The paper nautilus or argonaut, a cuttlefish.

Argonaut

The paper nautilus or argonaut, a cuttlefish.

"Male of Argonauta showing "hectocotylus" arm." -Thomson, 1916

Argonauta

"Male of Argonauta showing "hectocotylus" arm." -Thomson, 1916

"Male of Argonauta argo, with the hectocotylized arm still ontained in its enveloping cyst, four times enlarged." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Argonauta Argo

"Male of Argonauta argo, with the hectocotylized arm still ontained in its enveloping cyst, four times…

The argonauts (genus Argonauta, the only extant genus in the Argonautidae family) are a group of pelagic octopuses. They are also called paper nautiluses, referring to the paper-thin eggcase that females secrete. This structure lacks the gas-filled chambers present in chambered nautilus shells and is not a true cephalopod shell, but rather an evolutionary innovation unique to the genus Argonauta. Female argonauts produce a laterally-compressed calcareous eggcase in which they reside.

Paper Nautilus Octopuses

The argonauts (genus Argonauta, the only extant genus in the Argonautidae family) are a group of pelagic…

The argonauts (genus Argonauta, the only extant genus in the Argonautidae family) are a group of pelagic octopuses. They are also called paper nautiluses, referring to the paper-thin eggcase that females secrete. This structure lacks the gas-filled chambers present in chambered nautilus shells and is not a true cephalopod shell, but rather an evolutionary innovation unique to the genus Argonauta. Argonauts use tentacles to grab prey and drag it toward the mouth.

Paper Nautilus Octopuses

The argonauts (genus Argonauta, the only extant genus in the Argonautidae family) are a group of pelagic…

"Argonauta argo, the "Paper Nautilus," female. The animal is represented in its shell, but the webbed dorsal arms are separated from the shell, which they ordinarily embrace." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Paper Nautilus

"Argonauta argo, the "Paper Nautilus," female. The animal is represented in its shell, but the webbed…