Fast Fauna Facts #3 - Winged Argonaut (Argonauta hians)
Family: Argonaut Family (Argonautidae)
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
Like the other small octopuses in the argonaut family many Winged Argonauts appear to have spiral-shaped external shells similar to those of nautiluses or ammonites, but this isn't quite the case - what appears to be an argonaut's shell is only seen in adult females, and is actually a thin-walled, calcium-based case secreted from and held by a specialised pair of arms in order to carry fertilized eggs until they hatch. Found in non-polar waters worldwide, Winged Argonauts are found mainly near the surface in the open ocean (in contrast to most octopuses, which are bottom-dwellers,) feeding on small floating invertebrates and often using their suction cups to cling to flotsam or larger animals (sometimes including other argonauts) for protection; when faced with a predator, they may attempt to position the animal they're riding on between them and the perceived threat to act as a meat shield.
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Image Source: Here
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