What energy expenditure contrast exists between cracking a crab and pursuing a squid?

Cracking open a crab requires massive expenditure of muscular energy compared to pursuing a squid.

The text draws a clear comparison regarding the energy demands of different prey items. Processing hard-shelled prey, such as cracking open a thick-shelled crab or shattering a sea urchin, demands a massive expenditure of muscular energy because the physical effort required for crushing is extremely high. In direct contrast, pursuing and consuming a squid, while requiring speed and coordination to successfully capture it, demands significantly less sheer crushing power. This difference underscores why the wolf eel’s specialized anatomy is an evolutionary investment tuned toward overcoming physical barriers rather than maximizing pursuit speed.