The Fascinating Nautilus

Hello and welcome to another episode of Outline-Fest.  You can refer to the bottom of this post to see how the outline was created.  Feel free to use this outline for ideas - just don’t forget to cite correctly.  Good day.

Topic: Land/Marine Life

Specified Topic: Nautilus

Basic Outline:

I. Introduction

             

            A. Introductory Statement(s):

1.  You may have heard of the “Nautilus” being referenced mainly to naval transportation in many instances.  However, this term also applies to a specific species of coastal creatures that exist today. 

B. Thesis: These creatures have specific characteristics that give them a unique adaptability in their environment.

C. Main Ideas:

1. Characteristics

2. Natural Habitat

3. Interesting Facts

II. Characteristics

A. Nautilus fit in into two closely related species of cephalopod mollusks which include the Pearly, or Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus) and the Paper Nautilus (Argonauta). The Argonauta genus is diversely related to the octopus in some respects.

B. These creatures are generally composed of a smooth, spiral external shell which is about 25 cm (or 10 inches) in diameter and contains 36 individual compartments.  The living body resides in the outmost compartment.

C. The female Paper Nautilus has the ability to produce a shell (without compartments) which are composed of large membranes (or big flaps) on the dorsal arms.   

D. The male Paper Nautilus only grows to 1/20 the female’s size, does not produce any shell, and had been presumed to be vitally dependent inside the shell of the female. 

III. Natural Habitat

A. The Nautilus live mainly on shrimp and/or other prey. 

B. They use jet propulsion to travel across stretches of ocean and are equipped with 94 tiny tentacles that are able to contract in order to capture their prey.

C. These creatures regularly reside 50 to 600 meters (or approx. 160 to 1,970 feet) below the surface of the water.

D. Paper Nautiluses live near the surface of the water in tropical/subtropical environments and survive solely on plankton. 

IV. Interesting Facts

A. The Nautiluses are the left-overs of an ancient period called the Ordovician Period.

B. Approximately 450 million years ago, these creatures ruled the seas as the largest of the underwater predators.

C. Nowadays, these marine animals reside in the temperate environments of the Indian and Eastern Pacific Oceans.

V. Conclusion

A. Thesis Restatement: The unique features of the Nautilus give them the advantage in deep underwater habitats.

B. Brief Restatement Evidence and Circumstantial Information:

1. These creatures are made up of a smooth, spiral outer shell which measures around 25 cm (or 10 inches) in diameter and contains 36 different compartments.

2. With the exception of the Paper Nautilus which lives near the surface of the Indian and Eastern Pacific Ocean, other species live 50 to 600 meters (or approx. 160 to 1,970 feet) below the surface of the water.

3. Nautiluses which used the be the main predator have now become humble species in a diverse marine wildlife.

Author’s Note:

           

Are you still stuck with a few ideas to write your report or essay on?  Would you like to find more information on your project?  Check out some of the works cited sources below for more information.  By the way, there are some bits of information in my research that were not included in the outline because they did not fit into a particular category or that some detail were intentionally omitted while crafting this outline.  Feel free to use those if they fit in your essay; just be sure to cite the source.  If you need a scientific topic for me to discuss in outline form, just leave your ideas in comment section below.  Best wishes for your report or essay.

Brainstorm:

-It is part of the lizard family (scientific)

-Habitat?

-Food?

-Physical Features or Characteristics?

-Scientific Name?

-Use in Industry or Community?

Research Notes:

+ “either of two genera of cephalopod mollusks: the pearly, or chambered, nautilus (Nautilus), to which the name properly applies; and the paper nautilus (Argonauta), a cosmopolitan genus related to the octopus” (Species) - Encyclopedia Britannica

+ “smooth, coiled external shell about 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter, consisting of about 36 separate chambers, the outermost of which it lives in. The chambers are connected by a tube (the siphuncle) that adjusts the gases in the chambers, allowing the shell to act as a float and maintain neutral buoyancy” (Physical Features) - Encyclopedia Britannica

+ “swims about the ocean using jet propulsion, searching for shrimp or other prey. It uses up to 94 small, suckerless, contractile tentacles for capturing prey. The animals live at depths of 50 to 600 metres (about 160 to 1,970 feet)” (Behavior & Habitat) - Encyclopedia Britannica

+ “The paper nautilus is usually found near the surface of tropical and subtropical seas feeding on plankton” (Habitat/Species) - Encyclopedia Britannica

+ “females differ from other members of the order Octopoda in that they can secrete a thin, unchambered, coiled shell, formed by large flaps, or membranes, on the dorsal arms, in which eggs are laid and the young hatch. Large shells, which attain a diameter of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inches), are very fragile.” (Characteristics & Reproduction) - Encyclopedia Britannica

+ “male is only about ¹/₂₀ the size of the female, secretes no shell, and was once thought to be parasitic in the shell of the female. The female resembles the genus Octopus in other features.” (Characteristics)

+ “nautilus has simple, lensless eyes that operate on the principle of the pinhole camera. It also has two pairs of gills instead of one pair, and it has up to 90 tentacles arranged in two rings around the mouth. Its most familiar characteristic is its smooth, coiled shell, up to 28 cm (up to 11 in) in diameter. The shell is lined with mother-of-pearl and is separated into a series of progressively larger compartments, the most recent of which is inhabited by the animal. The walls (septa) dividing the chambers are pierced by a tube (siphuncle) connected to the nautilus. Gas and liquid exchange occurs through the siphuncle walls, by means of which the nautilus can regulate its buoyancy.”  (Characteristics) - Encarta Encyclopedia

+ “The nautilus is the only remaining example of a nautiloid, which was the largest predator in the seas of the Ordovician period, around 450 million years ago. Today's species inhabit the warm waters of the Indian and eastern Pacific oceans.” (History) - Encarta Encyclopedia

Works Cited:

"Nautilus (mollusk)." Microsoft® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007.

"nautilus." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2012.

Images Cited:

Hall, Michele. Chambered Nautilus. Digital image. Milwaukee Public Museum. IMAX, 2008. Web. 17 June 2012. http://www.mpm.edu/images/imax/under-the-sea/full/chambered_nautilus.jpg Digital Image