Minecraft Nautilus Guide: Locations, Taming, Riding & Armor

With the new “Mounts of Mayhem,” not only did a new weapon arrive, but also a new mob that’s perfect for it. The Nautilus inhabits Minecraft’s underwater worlds and is a wonderful addition to the vibrant life beneath the waves! And this shell-bearing creature can do far more than it first appears. It’s not only beautiful, it can also be tamed and even ridden. But beware: not all Nautilus are normal—some have been zombified. We’ll look at all of this and more so you fully understand 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 interior. It lives underwater and moves using its tentacles. In Minecraft, the Nautilus prefers colder waters. It has a 50 percent chance to spawn in frozen oceans, cold oceans, and deep oceans. However, it can also appear in all other ocean biomes, albeit at a lower rate. You’ll often encounter them in groups of one to three, and they can even spawn with baby Nautilus.

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

By default, Nautilus are not hostile, but they can attack. Sometimes they go after pufferfish and attack 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 Nautilus in Minecraft

Because the Nautilus is a neutral mob, you can breed it and even tame it. To grow your population, use any kind of fish and feed it to two Nautilus. As 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 as the item or in a bucket. As with cats or wolves, it may take several attempts before the hearts appear. After that, the underwater creature obeys you and can even be ridden. You can also lead a Nautilus with a lead, 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 give it directly to the creature. This lets you control it yourself and move more easily underwater.

Endless breath and dash: exploring underwater with a Nautilus

The Nautilus grants you 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. This makes it perfect for underwater caves, ocean ruins, and ocean monuments.

Another feature is the 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. That’s not only practical for exploration—it’s also useful in combat.

Underwater combat: spear, dash combo, and Nautilus armor

As a mount, 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, and with the right armor you can protect it from attacks. Armor can be found in various ocean structures, ranging from copper to diamond. You can later upgrade it to netherite. You cannot craft it.

Riding gets even better with the new spear. Its charged attack becomes stronger the faster you’re moving. You can combine this perfectly with a dash to quickly take out drowned or guardians.

Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft: spawns, riders, and taming

Not all Nautilus look normal—some are zombified. You can recognize them by moss on their shells or by coral. They spawn far less often and are frequently ridden by a drowned with a trident. Whether naturally or via a structure: 50 percent of drowned with tridents can ride a zombie Nautilus. This makes them more mobile and able to ambush you.

Once you’ve defeated the rider, zombified Nautilus behave essentially like normal creatures. You can tame and ride them, but you cannot breed them. On death, they drop rotten flesh instead of Nautilus shells. In return, they’re a bit faster than the normal variants.

It can be worth keeping an eye out for a zombie Nautilus. Those with coral are especially rare and 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 unlimited oxygen, you can explore underwater with ease. At the same time, the Nautilus is great for combat, for example against drowned or guardians. With the right armor for your Nautilus and a spear, you’re well prepared. You might even find one of the rare zombie Nautilus and free it from its rider.

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