Nautilus Eggs

Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Messages
33
The Nautilus at the National Zoological Park laid a series of eggs (five I think) recently, the event took place about a month or so ago. The intent of the staff is to remove them and place them in a special holding tank, as the water temp needs to be higher than that which Nautilus are normally kept. As to whether or not they are fertile that remains unknown, hatching times vary in captivity, from 10 months to a year plus. More details later, in the meantime here are a few images. :madsci:

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Is this the Baltimore Aquarium? If not where is the National Zoological Park? I am due a trip down there after the holidays, as I am a member at the aquarium. I didn't realize it took so long for the eggs to hatch! Fascinating!!!

Carol
 
Indeed, has this been done before in captivity??? That is one heck of a long gestation period!!!
 
Thanks Kevin...an interesting read. Lots of speculation though...had not realized that Nautilus were so researched in regards to reproduction...seems odd in light of how "in the dark" we are with so many cephalopod species reproduction events...
 
From the introduction in the paper referenced above:

The first embryos of N. belauensis were obtained in 1985 at the Waikiki Aquarium (Hawaii) (Carlson 1985; Arnold and Carlson 1986). Hatching of this species was attained in 1988 at the Kagoshima Aquarium (Japan) (Okutani 1990), and in 1990 at the Waikiki Aquarium (Carlson 1991; Carlson et al. 1992). Hatching of N. macromphalus was also observed in 1993 at the Toba Aquarium (Japan) (Uchiyama and Tanabe 1999).

There may have been some since. :?:
 
They've been hatched in indonesia before I think in captivity but I dont hink that any have been brought on successfully. It's all in the Mark Norman book, Cephalopods, a world guide somewhere!
 

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