You might have seen chambered nautilus shells for sale at curio, shell and jewelry shops. People buy these for decoration in their homes or for wearing. The trade in the species is largely driven by the international demand for both their shells and shell products since fishing for nautiluses has been found to have no cultural or historical relevance. But the ornamental shell trade threatens nautilus populations. The chambered nautilus, Nautilus pompilius, is a highly vulnerable species because of its low reproductive rates, slow growth and late maturity.
In the U.S. the chambered nautilus is listed as Threatened by the Endangered Species Act. Internationally chambered nautiluses are protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international agreement designed to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild.
Please don’t buy nautilus shells and ask others not to. “Treating nautiluses like tourist trinkets is driving them to the brink of extinction. … ,” said Miyoko Sakashita, ocean program director with the Center for Biologic Diversity. “It’s humbling to share a planet with these ancient creatures, and it’s our challenge to ensure they don’t go extinct on our watch.”
