DETAILS
- Discipline
NH: ZOOLOGY: INVERTEBRATES: MOLLUSCS
- Scientific Name
Argonauta argo Linnaeus, 1758
- Common Name
Argonaut shell
- Form
dried
- Dimensions
overall: 180 mm x 130 mm x 90 mm 40 g
- Collection
Robert P Scase Collection of Molluscs
- Description
-
The greater argonaut (Argonauta argo) is a pelagic octopus found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. They exhibit a large size dimorphism with the female argonauts being much larger than the males.
The specimen here is a shell or egg case secreted by the female argonaut as soon as she is big enough. She continues to live in the shell and store eggs there until they hatch at which point she ejects the larvae into the open ocean.
Argonauts feed on pelagic animals such as jellyfish and other molluscs and are in turn eaten by large fish and seabirds.
This is part of the R.P. Scase collection which consists of more than 15,000 shells from all over the world collected over many years. - ID Number
Z.1993.76.304
- Location
In storage
- Terms