On Saturday, October 13, 2012, a female argonaut (aka paper nautilus) was caught by fishermen when they were fishing for squid a couple of miles from Los Angeles Harbor. These animals are usually only found in tropical and subtropical seas; finding one in Southern California indicates warm water currents from the south are most likely prevalent.
Argonauts are a type of octopus. They eat plankton such as krill, shrimp and pelagic snails. Female and male argonauts reach dramatically different sizes; females grow to be about 18 inches and males only one inch! The female argonaut creates a thin, laterally compressed calcareous shell, which is secreted and formed by the first arm from a wide sail-like lobe. This shell has one chamber that is used as a brood pouch for eggs.
In this video, the female argonaut provides a rare glimpse of what she looks like out of her shell.
