Chinese scientists have found a mechanism that may explain how giant deep-sea isopods are able to survive for extraordinarily long periods without food.

In one widely reported case, a giant deep-sea isopod remained alive for more than five years after its last meal.

The study was carried out by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oceanology in Shandong province, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Northwestern Polytechnical University. Their findings were published on Friday in the journal Cell.