Argonauta argo, more commonly known as the argonaut or Paper nautilus, is a mollusc found in the Mediterranean and other warm seas. Females secrete a calcitic nacelle, a sort of "cradle", to protect their eggs. Males are dwarfed - 10 to 15 times smaller than females - and have no shell. The female then lays her eggs in this thin, fragile cradle. Once the eggs have hatched, the female dies, releasing her shell. The light pod is carried away by the water and washes up on the beach.