The Effects of Caffeine on Hatching Brine Shrimp

Brine shrimp are crustaceans that thrive in water with a high salt content. One of the unique features of brine shrimp is that their eggs (or cysts, as they are sometimes called) survive in a completely dry state for upward of 10 years, according to the Hollingsworth Science Center. The hatching of brine shrimps involves the hydration of the dry eggs or cysts and the hatching process. The hydration process extends from one to four days. The hatching process itself lasts from between one to two days. The addition of caffeine appears to impact the hydration and hatching processes.

  1. Dehydration

    • Brine shrimp oftentimes are hatched from what are known as dehydrated cysts. Before the hatching process commences, the cysts themselves must be hydrated. There are different techniques used to hydrate brine shrimp cysts to commence the actual hatching process. Merely soaking them in tap water works to hydrate cysts, although care must be taken not to overexpose them to tap water. (Brine shrimp are a salt-water species--as the name suggests. Exposure of cysts to tap water should not extend beyond a couple of days.) Adding caffeine to the water appears to speed up the hydration process. Although no specific ratio of water to caffeine is established, and brine shrimp cysts are durable, the amount of caffeine added to the mix should be less than 2 to 5 percent.

    Hatching Process

    • Once the cysts are hydrated, the hatching process commences. A caffeine additive of between 2 to 5 percent may increase the hatching process itself. The reality is that hydrated cysts hatch into brine shrimp within 24 to 48 hours, according to South Australian Sea Horse. The addition of caffeine brings the time involved in the hatching process down closer to the 24-hour mark.

    Heart Rate

    • Brine shrimp emerging from a caffeine-induced hatching process typically experience a higher heart rate than associated with brine shrimp not exposed to the chemical. The usual heart rate of brine shrimp is between 200 and 300 beats per minute, according to the Hollingsworth Science Center. Brine shrimp exposed to caffeine in the hatching process experience heart rates above the 300 beats per minute level, which reduces when the exposure to caffeine terminates.