ARGONAUT OCTOPUS – Argonauta argo 1883 Antique Marine Engraving

This original 1883 engraving from Brehms Tierleben features the striking Argonauta argo, also known as the paper nautilus. Unlike true nautiluses, the female argonaut creates a delicate, paper-thin shell not for protection but to hold her eggs. The print captures the octopus swimming freely with its webbed arms and signature coiled shell.

Beautifully engraved on heavy cream paper, this scientific illustration measures approximately 6.75 x 9.75 inches. Text on the reverse as issued. A rare and captivating image from 19th-century marine zoology.