Pearl Nautilus Shell 4" - 5", Nautilus Pompilius, these prized Shells are a beautiful addition to any collection. The Pearlized effect is due to the outer layer of the shell being removed.
A featured item from our Kennebunkport Collection. One-of-a-kind unique items sourced from the Kennebunk’s in southern Coastal Maine. Bring an authentic piece of nautical or coastal history into your home.
DIMENSIONS: 4" -5" sizes are approximate and vary slightly
MATERIALS: Natural Shell whole
FACTS & HISTORY: Having survived relatively unchanged for millions of years, nautilus are often considered to be “living fossils”, indeed ammonites are a related extinct species.
As the cephalopods generally live at depths of between 100m and 500m in the Indo Pacific Ocean. While it is difficult for scientists to absolutely quantify numbers in the wild, anecdotal evidence form fishermen and comparison of number counts and size of specimens from fished areas and protected marine environments suggest that in some localities of the world overfishing is becoming a problem.
While the lifecycle of Nautilus is not fully understood, it is known that the creature can take up to ten years to reach sexual maturity and even then the species does not produce a free swimming larval stage, making it difficult for it to re-colonise areas should numbers become depleted.
Ecological Note: Concern has been expressed over suspected dwindling numbers of Nautilus, thus it is now illegal to import them. These are the last from a collection and when gone, they will be unavailable. We will continue to monitor the situation, and at all times work within agreed International Conventions and the Law of exporting countries.
Having survived relatively unchanged for millions of years, nautilus are often considered to be “living fossils”, indeed ammonites are a related extinct species.
As the cephalopods generally live at depths of between 100m and 500m in the Indo Pacific Ocean. While it is difficult for scientists to absolutely quantify numbers in the wild, anecdotal evidence form fishermen and comparison of number counts and size of specimens from fished areas and protected marine environments suggest that in some localities of the world overfishing is becoming a problem.
While the lifecycle of Nautilus is not fully understood, it is known that the creature can take up to ten years to reach sexual maturity and even then the species does not produce a free swimming larval stage, making it difficult for it to re-colonise areas should numbers become depleted.
Ecological Note: Concern has been expressed over suspected dwindling numbers of Nautilus, thus it is now illegal to import them. These are the last from a collection and when gone, they will be unavailable. We will continue to monitor the situation, and at all times work within agreed International Conventions and the Law of exporting countries.
