Tuning gastropod locomotion: Modeling the influence of mucus rheology on the cost of crawling

TL;DR

This paper models how the shear-thinning properties of mucus reduce the energy cost of gastropod crawling by decreasing mucus requirements, highlighting the importance of mucus rheology in locomotion efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a mechanical model demonstrating how mucus rheology influences the energetic cost of gastropod crawling, emphasizing the role of shear-thinning properties.

Findings

Shear-thinning mucus reduces mucus volume needed for crawling.

Mucus rheology significantly impacts the energy expenditure of gastropods.

Model suggests optimizing mucus properties can improve locomotion efficiency.

Abstract

Common gastropods such as snails crawl on a solid substrate by propagating muscular waves of shear stress on a viscoelastic mucus. Producing the mucus accounts for the largest component in the gastropod's energy budget, more than twenty times the amount of mechanical work used in crawling. Using a simple mechanical model, we show that the shear-thinning properties of the mucus favor a decrease in the amount of mucus necessary for crawling, thereby decreasing the overall energetic cost of locomotion.