A new paper by Navish, Anders, and Thomas describes the hydrodynamic and energetic changes experienced by copepods, as they go through their development from nauplii to adults.
Navish Wadhwa, Anders Andersen, and Thomas Kiørboe
Hydrodynamics and energetics of jumping copepod nauplii and copepodids
Journal of Experimental Biology jeb.105676 doi: 10.1242/jeb.105676
A copepod goes through dramatic changes in shape, size, and swimming gait, as it goes through the different stages of its life cycle. The physiological changes are bound to result in physical changes, affecting the hydrodynamics of swimming and feeding. In this study, the authors have quantified these changes by measuring the fluid flow around a copepod, at various stages of its life cycle. The results show that nauplii and copepodid stages create very different flow structures while swimming and have different swimming efficiencies. A copepodid is hydrodynamically quieter than its younger counterpart, allowing it to better hide from predators.
Read the article published in advanced online form in the website of the Journal of Experimental Biology