paper nautilus

noun

any dibranchiate cephalopod of the genus Argonauta, the female of which has a delicate, white shell.

paper nautilus

any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Argonauta, esp A. argo, of warm and tropical seas, having a papery external spiral shell: order Octopoda (octopods) Also calledargonaut Compare pearly nautilus

First recorded in 1825–35

The argonaut, or paper-nautilus, must be carefully distinguished from the pearly-nautilus or nautilus proper (Nautilus Pompilius).

I here also saw numbers of the paper nautilus floating on the calm surface of the water.

It is often found attached to the shell of the Paper Nautilus, which it is said to use as a sail.

The paper-nautilus (Argonauta argo) belongs to a different family of the same class, and has a simple, delicate, boat-like shell.

We need not trouble ourselves about the distinction between this and the Paper Nautilus, the Argonauta of the ancients.

Browse