Individual energy requirements are tightly related to individual resource use and by extension of space‐use patterns and other traits at higher levels of the ecological hierarchy. However, there is still little experimental evidence linking individual energetics and space‐use behaviour. Individual energy requirements scale mainly with body size and temperature, but these do not explain all individual variation. Therefore, studies focused on inter individual variation in resource and space use behaviour can be used to frame foraging dynamics in an energy perspective. We empirically tested the hypothesis of a relationship between individual energetics and patch departure behaviour using as model organisms four small species (body mass ranging from 0.4 to 14 mg AFDW) of aquatic gastropods strongly differing in adult size: Galba truncatula, Bithynia tentaculata, Theodoxus fluviatilis and Ecrobia ventrosa (in descending order of size). Motility tests were performed in controlled microcosm conditions. The tests were designed to classify the specimens as either low motility (not inclined to abandon the patch) or high motility (likely to abandon the patch). The tests entailed measuring the propensity of the individuals to abandon a limited resource patch (2 g DW of conditioned Phragmites australis leaves) within a given amount of time (24 h) when foraging with conspecifics under conditions where competition for food is expected to increase over time due to resource depletion. The individual standard metabolic rate of the tested specimens was measured via open flow respirometry and compared across motility classes at intra‐ and interspecific level. At both levels, we observed that individuals with higher standard metabolic rates were more inclined to abandon the patch. This finding establishes a link between foraging theory and competitive coexistence mechanisms.

中文翻译：

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个体代谢率与斑块离开行为之间的关系：水生腹足动物的证据

个体能源需求与个体资源使用紧密相关，并通过扩展生态系统更高层次上的空间使用模式和其他特征来实现。但是，几乎没有实验证据将个体的能量学与空间利用行为联系起来。个体的能量需求主要取决于体型和体温，但是这些不能解释所有个体的变化。因此，侧重于资源和空间使用行为的个体间差异的研究可用于从能源角度构建觅食动态。我们使用成年个体差异很大的四种水生腹足动物作为模型生物，以经验的方式检验了个体能量学与斑块离开行为之间关系的假设：Galba truncatula，Bithynia tentaculata，Theodoxus fluviatilis和Ecrobia ventrosa（按大小降序排列）。在受控的微观条件下进行了动力测试。测试旨在将标本分为低运动性（不倾向于放弃斑块）或高运动性（可能放弃斑块）。测试需要测量个体放弃有限资源补丁的倾向（2 g DW的条件化芦苇）在因资源枯竭而预计食物竞争随着时间而增加的条件下，用特定物种觅食时，应在给定的时间（24小时）内离开）。通过开放式流动呼吸测定法测量被测样品的个体标准代谢率，并在种内和种间水平比较各个运动类别。在这两个水平上，我们都观察到具有较高标准代谢率的个体更倾向于放弃斑块。这一发现建立了觅食理论与竞争共存机制之间的联系。