Near-Neutral Buoyancy Lets Pacific Sleeper Sharks Drift Like Submarines

Oil is less compressible than gas, making it ideal for deep-sea buoyancy under extreme pressure.

In deep waters where food can be scarce, conserving energy is critical, and a drifting, submarine-like glide lets a multi-ton predator patrol vast territories without constant propulsion.

This energy-efficient strategy enables gigantism in a habitat defined by scarcity, showing that size in the abyss depends more on efficiency than speed.