Three nautilus species new to science have been found in the Pacific

The distinctive branching patterns and stripes on the shells of three species of Nautilus have been used to identify them as separate species.

To Jake Buehler

Three types of spiral-shelled Nautilus have been identified as another species, increasing the number of known Nautilus species by as much as 50%.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, these octopus and squid cousins ​​were much more diverse, with thousands of species known from fossils. Today, however, only about six species live on the deep slopes of coral reefs around Indonesia and parts of the western Pacific. The exact number of Nautilus species alive remains undetermined…