Monday, January 17, 2011
jane and the argonaut
I found this shell which is as big as my hand and it's resident last Friday morning while walking Vida on the beach. I had returned an small octopus, which was an opalescent gold and peach colour, to the sea just before I found it's shell. The female releases the shell, which is actually an egg case, so that the eggs can hatch. As I emptied the shell of sand, the buttery eggs slipped into the foamy surf.
This animal is an Argonaut, also known as a paper nautilus neither made of paper nor is it a true nautilus shell. It is though that Argonauts are the descendants of ammonites which are found in Alberta. She is a sailor, too.
More details about this beautiful animal are available here.
http://www.mexfish.com/fish/pnaut/pnaut.htm
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amazing! to know that the sea of cortez is healthy enough to be the home to such delicate life shows the planet is holding her own. hugs - r
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