Nautilus-Aquarium
The "Nautilus": A living fossil in the aquarium
In the Gardena Valley (South Tyrol) there are fossils of nautiloids which lived in the sea during the Upper Permian Period (approx. 250 million years ago). Two of these fossils – which represented an absolutely novel find – are exhibited in the Permanent Exhibition in the Department on the Dolomites. In order to help visitors imagine how nautiluses live, in December of 2005 an aquarium with living specimens of the species Nautilus pompilius Linnaeus, 1758, was set up directly next to this exhibit. Outside of Bozen/Bolzano, these rare “living fossils“ can be seen in Italy only in the Aquarium of Parco le Navi in Cattolica.
The Nautilus pompilius is a very sensitive animal which is not easy to keep in aquariums. For this reason, a special 1,000-liter aquarium with a water temperature of 18-20 °C was constructed. Because nautiluses are deep-sea animals and are unaccustomed to strong light, the tank is illuminated by blue light. Underneath the aquarium there is a complex filter plant which also regulates the water's salt content.
Special article in the journal "Oasis" [PDF-Download 1,22 MB]