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Glite Dictionary
Nautilidae

Nautilidae

9.9
A group of sea animals that have spiral shells, like the nautilus
  • noun
  • /ˌnɔːtɪˈliːdə/
  • Specialized
: Nautílidos
  • Unlike most modern cephalopods, living Nautilidae still have external shells.

Examples

  • The Nautilidae are known for their beautiful, spiral shells found in tropical oceans.

  • Scientists study Nautilidae fossils to understand the evolution of cephalopods.

  • The Nautilidae family includes fascinating marine creatures.

  • Did you know that Nautilidae are often called living fossils?

  • Scientists study Nautilidae fossils to understand the evolution of cephalopods.

  • The Nautilidae are known for their beautiful, spiral shells found in tropical oceans.

  • Unlike most modern cephalopods, living Nautilidae still have external shells.

Surface Forms

Nautilidae singular
Nautilidaes plural

Morphology

Nautilidae = nautilus (semi-transparent) = nautil + idae

The stem refers to the familiar English noun 'nautilus', but the suffix '-idae' is a specialized taxonomic ending that is not transparent to average learners.

Etymology

The word Nautilidae comes from the Greek nautilus meaning 'sailor' and the scientific ending -idae meaning 'family'. Think of the nautilus as a small sea 'ship' with a spiral shell, and notice the root naut- in words like nautical and astronaut — this image helps explain why the name fits these spiral-shelled sea animals.