Nautilus Shells...
On the beach this weekend, Steve picked up a Nautilus seashell, and I was astounded to hear that Muizenberg beach, is known as the place where the highest occurence of Nautilus shells are found in the world. It was so fragile, like paper, that Steve had to carry it very carefully so as not to damage it. I did some research myself, and found it was called the "Paper Nautilus" and included the details from my research.
Paper Nautilus (Argonauta argo)
Collectors and casual beachcombers prize the delicate shell of the Argonaut alike. Their occurrence on South African beaches is somewhat seasonal and stranding is most frequent between April and August at the end of the spawning season.The female nautilus resembles an octopus. She has eight arms, two of which are flattened and responsible for building and holding the shell in which she appears to spend her whole life. This protective shell helps with flotation and acts as a brood chamber for her thousands of eggs. The male is only one-twentieth of the size of the female and has no shell. It is thought that the female dies after spawning, and the male after mating when his sperm sac has broken to fertilize the eggs.The biggest nautilus shell ever found on this coastline is on exhibition at the Beachcomber Shell Shop in Struisbaai. This nautilus, found recently on the Struisbaai Plaat by a local resident, is a perfect specimen of Argonauta Argo.
posted by zeekoevlei @ 1:57 AM
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