1.5" Polished Fossil Nautilus (Cymatoceras) - Unusual Black Color!

Polished Fossil Nautilus (Cymatoceras) - Unusual Black Color! #282456

This is a beautiful, 1.5" wide, polished nautilus fossil from Madagascar. The polishing really shows off the stark contrast between the black coloring and white septae separations. It has a bit of gap filling on its upper curve.

A nautilus's shell is made up of two layers. The inner layer has the iridescent shine, while the outer layer provides protection from external forces. Inside the shell are septa that divide the living area of the shell into compartments and help the animal maintain balance and position in the water column.

Nautilus are "living fossils": species similar to this one still exist in our oceans!

More about ammonites