Chambered Nautilus

v8maro · 05/01/2006, 08:04 AM

So I was watching some tv this weekend and this special came on about the Waikiki Aquarium. Aparently, they have this very odd creature, which is actually pretty darn cool. Does anyone here actually have one of these?

Quote:

The chambered nautilus is a living fossil with an ancestry reaching back nearly 500 million years. Nautilus does not occur in the Hawaiian islands, and our specimens come from Palau, American Samoa or Fiji. Waikiki Aquarium was the first aquarium in the U.S. to maintain nautilus and the first in the world to breed them. From time to time, the hatchlings are on exhibit. The nautilus lives in a world of darkness, at depths of over one thousand feet. At night, it may ascend to shallower water of a few hundred feet. While nautilus is believed to be a scavenger, much of its behavior and life style remains a mystery.

http://www.waquarium.org/vt/index.html

Also, a cool fact about the Waikiki Aquarium is that they use natural sunlight!

iaJim · 05/01/2006, 08:10 AM

The historical museum in Des Moines set up a SW aquarium for a time and put a couple of chambered Nautilus in it because they were once native to Iowa. I don't think it worked out too well. I did see them alive however, and that was pretty cool. Unfortunate for the animals however.

Kaiser Tang · 05/01/2006, 08:10 AM

From what I understand, you might be able to find one, but they are impossible it keep alive in captivitiy.

george1098 · 05/01/2006, 08:10 AM

i doubt many people with home aquariums could keep one of these alive. how big is it?
pretty cool though. kindof looks like a cuttlefish

v8maro · 05/01/2006, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaiser Tang
From what I understand, you might be able to find one, but they are impossible it keep alive in captivitiy.

waikiki is doing it, they even breed them.

Amphiprion · 05/01/2006, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by george1098
i doubt many people with home aquariums could keep one of these alive. how big is it?
pretty cool though. kindof looks like a cuttlefish

In a relatively distant sense, they are somewhat related to cuttlefish (both being cephalopods).

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaiser Tang
From what I understand, you might be able to find one, but they are impossible it keep alive in captivitiy.

Impossible, no. Extremely difficult under normal circumstances, yes.

Kaiser Tang · 05/01/2006, 08:58 AM

I did mean in a home aquarium. The Waikiki Aquarium is obviously not the home aquarium. v8maro has 40 gal. tank. That would be a home aquarium.

jlawson382 · 05/01/2006, 09:25 AM

Copied/pasted from my post in the Cephalopod forum:

If my reading is correct, the biggest problem with keeping a Nautilus in private aquaria comes from their daily movement - read about how the Waikiki Aquarium handles their tanks here.

" In 1984, we used sonic transmitters to track living Nautilus belauensis in Palau, Micronesia, in order to learn more about its daily movements. We discovered that Nautilus moves as deep as 467 meters (1541 ft.) during the day, and at dusk ascends to depths as shallow as 85 meters (280 ft.). Temperatures at these depths ranged from 8Ã‚Âº C to 24Ã‚Âº C (46Ã‚Âº to 75Ã‚Âº F)."

Loralie · 05/01/2006, 10:36 AM

A LFS here had on for a time and it was amazing, however I agree that there is no way for us to keep them in the home reef tank.

v8maro · 05/01/2006, 10:55 AM

ok so to keep one you would need a cold water tank basically. Still a cool fish if you ask me. I need to make my way out to waikiki and check out that aquarium, it looks sweet.

snulma1 · 05/01/2006, 12:09 PM

a LFS by me had one too. It was pretty cool looking, but didn't open up at all. It just kinda floated along in the current.

Plus they wanted over 200 for it.

LegoZ81 · 05/01/2006, 01:03 PM

one LFS here had one a while back and his would grab silversides right out of his hand he wanted 120 something for it.

05/01/2006, 08:10 AM	#3
Kaiser Tang Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,314	From what I understand, you might be able to find one, but they are impossible it keep alive in captivitiy. __________________ "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: Marineland 150 XH Reef w/ 55 AGA Sump, Oceans Motions Super Squirt, Ecotech Marine Vortech, Current Prime 1/3 hp Chiller, 200 lbs. LR, 175 lbs. LS, 800 watts PFO MH and 440 watts IceCap VHO. Softies, LPS, and Clams!

05/01/2006, 08:10 AM	#4
george1098 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Halifax NS Canada Posts: 1,336	i doubt many people with home aquariums could keep one of these alive. how big is it? pretty cool though. kindof looks like a cuttlefish __________________ I'm not as think as you stupid i am Current Tank Info: None at the moment

05/01/2006, 08:58 AM	#7
Kaiser Tang Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,314	I did mean in a home aquarium. The Waikiki Aquarium is obviously not the home aquarium. v8maro has 40 gal. tank. That would be a home aquarium. __________________ "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: Marineland 150 XH Reef w/ 55 AGA Sump, Oceans Motions Super Squirt, Ecotech Marine Vortech, Current Prime 1/3 hp Chiller, 200 lbs. LR, 175 lbs. LS, 800 watts PFO MH and 440 watts IceCap VHO. Softies, LPS, and Clams!

05/01/2006, 08:10 AM	#2
iaJim Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: south central Iowa Posts: 590	The historical museum in Des Moines set up a SW aquarium for a time and put a couple of chambered Nautilus in it because they were once native to Iowa. I don't think it worked out too well. I did see them alive however, and that was pretty cool. Unfortunate for the animals however.

05/01/2006, 09:25 AM	#8
jlawson382 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 35	Copied/pasted from my post in the Cephalopod forum: If my reading is correct, the biggest problem with keeping a Nautilus in private aquaria comes from their daily movement - read about how the Waikiki Aquarium handles their tanks here. " In 1984, we used sonic transmitters to track living Nautilus belauensis in Palau, Micronesia, in order to learn more about its daily movements. We discovered that Nautilus moves as deep as 467 meters (1541 ft.) during the day, and at dusk ascends to depths as shallow as 85 meters (280 ft.). Temperatures at these depths ranged from 8Ã‚Âº C to 24Ã‚Âº C (46Ã‚Âº to 75Ã‚Âº F)."

05/01/2006, 10:36 AM	#9
Loralie Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 568	A LFS here had on for a time and it was amazing, however I agree that there is no way for us to keep them in the home reef tank.

05/01/2006, 10:55 AM	#10
v8maro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 386	ok so to keep one you would need a cold water tank basically. Still a cool fish if you ask me. I need to make my way out to waikiki and check out that aquarium, it looks sweet.

05/01/2006, 12:09 PM	#11
snulma1 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New York, NY Posts: 2,281	a LFS by me had one too. It was pretty cool looking, but didn't open up at all. It just kinda floated along in the current. Plus they wanted over 200 for it.

05/01/2006, 01:03 PM	#12
LegoZ81 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 779	one LFS here had one a while back and his would grab silversides right out of his hand he wanted 120 something for it.