Deep-sea denizens go years without food with clever biological fix

Giant deep‑sea isopods can survive more than five years without food by stuffing large meals into a stomach that fills much of their body and then dropping into a very low‑energy “standby” mode.
Researchers found they’ve even borrowed a bacterial gene (ND1) via horizontal gene transfer that acts like a metabolic switch—speeding up or slowing energy use depending on conditions.
Their stomach microbes (including Chlamydiae) may help with slow‑release fat storage, and these pill‑bug relatives can be huge—some around 20 inches—and curl into a ball for protection.