Vast Energy Reserves Let Pacific Sleeper Sharks Survive Long Food Gaps

This one-ton shark can endure scarcity in a food-poor abyss.

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Deep-sea ecosystems often rely on sporadic inputs of organic matter from surface waters.

Pacific sleeper sharks inhabit deep environments where prey encounters are unpredictable, and their large body mass combined with energy-rich liver reserves supports survival during extended periods between major feeding events.

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In depths beyond 2,000 meters, meals can depend on rare events like carcass falls or opportunistic captures, so storing significant internal energy becomes essential for a predator of this scale.

Such resilience allows a massive vertebrate to persist in ecosystems defined by scarcity, reinforcing that gigantism in the deep sea is tied to endurance rather than constant hunting success.

Source

Smithsonian Ocean Portal

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