Minecraft Nautilus Guide: Locations, Taming, Riding & Armor

With the new Mounts of Mayhem, the game didn’t just get a new weapon—it also got a new mob that’s perfect for it. The nautilus inhabits Minecraft’s underwater biomes and is a wonderful addition to the vibrant world beneath the waves! And this shelled creature can do far more than it first appears. It’s not only beautiful, but it can also be tamed and even ridden. But be careful—not all nautiluses are normal; some are zombified. We’ll cover all of that and more so you can make the most of this new creature.

Locations and spawn rates: nautilus in Minecraft’s oceans

The nautilus is modeled after a living fossil, with a spiral shell and a snail-like body. It lives underwater and propels itself with its tentacles. In Minecraft, the nautilus prefers colder waters. It has a 50% chance to spawn in frozen, cold oceans and deep oceans. However, it can also appear in all other ocean types, albeit at a lower rate. You’ll often find them in groups of one to three, and they sometimes even spawn with baby nautiluses.

Nautiluses are peaceful underwater creatures that swim around. You can swim alongside them and watch their behavior. They’re fantastic for ambiance in the deep sea and are also great in a home aquarium or a pond. Do not bring them onto land, though—they will quickly suffocate! On death, the nautilus drops nautilus shells, giving you a renewable way to farm them.

By default, nautiluses are not hostile, but they can attack. Sometimes they go after pufferfish and target schools. They can also attack players and other mobs if provoked. Depending on difficulty, they deal one to two hearts of damage.

Taming, healing, and breeding nautiluses in Minecraft

Because the nautilus is a neutral mob, you can breed it and even tame it. To increase your population, use any kind of fish and feed two nautiluses. Just like with other animals in Minecraft, this produces a baby. You can also heal a nautilus with fish if it has taken damage. Cooked fish heals more.

You can only tame a nautilus with pufferfish, either the regular item or the bucketed version. As with cats or wolves, it may take several tries before the hearts appear. After that, the underwater creature will obey you and can even be ridden. You can also attach a lead to a nautilus to guide it, just like other animals.

Nautilus as a mount: controls, saddle, and underwater movement

Once you’ve tamed a nautilus with a pufferfish, you can sit on its shell. If you have a saddle, press E and place it in the nautilus’s inventory or equip it directly. This lets you control the creature and move more easily underwater.

Infinite breath and dash: underwater exploration with a nautilus

The nautilus grants the Breath of the Nautilus effect, which stops your oxygen bar from depleting. You can stay underwater indefinitely as long as you’re riding the nautilus. That makes it perfect for underwater caves, ocean ruins, and ocean monuments.

Another feature is dash. Your experience bar is replaced with a jump bar, similar to a horse or camel. Hold the Jump key and the nautilus will dash forward to move faster. This is not only great for exploration but also useful in combat.

Underwater combat: spear, dash combo, and nautilus armor

The nautilus isn’t just for exploring—it’s also great for combat. In its inventory you’ll see a slot for a saddle and one for armor. The nautilus itself has 7.5 hearts; with the right armor you can protect it from attacks. Armor can be found from copper up to diamond in various ocean structures. You can upgrade it to Netherite later. You cannot craft it.

Riding gets even better with the new spear. Its charged attack grows stronger the faster you’re moving. Combine that with dash to quickly take out Drowned or Guardians.

Zombie nautilus in Minecraft: spawns, riders, and taming

Not all nautiluses look normal—some are zombified. You can recognize them by the moss on their shells or the coral growths. They spawn far less often and are frequently ridden by a Drowned with a trident. Whether naturally or from a structure, 50% of Drowned with a trident can be riding a zombie nautilus. That makes them more mobile and able to ambush you.

Once you’ve defeated the rider, zombified nautiluses behave essentially like normal animals. You can tame and ride them, but you cannot breed them. On death they drop rotten flesh instead of nautilus shells. They are, however, a bit faster than the normal variants.

It’s worth keeping an eye out for a zombie nautilus. The ones with coral are especially rare, making them perfect for your collection. As long as you take out the rider separately, the nautilus is yours.

Conclusion: underwater exploration and combat with the nautilus

In Mounts of Mayhem, the nautilus is a new creature you can ride. Since it gives you infinite oxygen, you can explore underwater with no hassle. At the same time, the nautilus is great in combat, for example against Drowned or Guardians. With the right armor for your nautilus and a spear, you’ll be well prepared. You might even find one of the rare zombie nautiluses and free it from its rider.

Set out in search of the new nautilus by renting one of our Minecraft servers: https://www.4netplayers.com/en-us/gameserver-hosting/minecraft/. It’s especially fun with friends—host underwater duels and see who’s the better nautilus rider.