Aww, thanks!

This implies that hermit crabs can stay below or close to their optimum size (a submaximal growth) as a strategy to mitigate the hydrodynamic costs of wave action. This has broader implications for understanding size limits in flow-exposed animals. More details on the paper!

Using the Sebens model we predicted the energetic optimum (EOS) and maximum (EMS) sizes of hermit crabs. We found that in a relatively strong wave regime, hermit crabs have an EOS at a medium size and a EMS that is far greater than the sizes we observed in the intertidal.

Larger individuals faced higher metabolic costs to stay attached to the substrate and the effect was greater with stronger waves. Although hermit crabs of both treatments assimilated the same amount of energy.

Next, we exposed hermit crabs of all sizes in the lab to two wave regimes (low and high) and measured energy budget components: assimilated energy, maintenance metabolic rate and maximum metabolic rate in a bidirectional water flow chamber.

First, we measured the hermit crab body size distribution along the intertidal gradient depending on water velocity. We found that all the sizes that we collected were distributed "evenly" along the intertidal, but sizes were far smaller than the ones reported for subtidal populations.

In this study we explored the effect of waves on the energetic costs that hermit crabs must incur to live in the rocky intertidal. We also calculated the optimum and maximum sizes that hermit crabs could attain when exposed to particular wave regimes.

Yes! I'm going to both dates in Mexico City! ✨️✨️

Mejoró la experiencia después de perder 20+ veces con este camarón mantis.