Over 5 years without eating Amazing

[HikariDirect]

The Toba Aquarium in Japan has been keeping 2 giant Isopods in captivity. In 2009, one of the isopods stopped eating, and on Feb 14 of this year it finally died. Totally incredible that any animal could go that long without eating anything.
You can read the story here http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/...ead-after-more-than-five-years-of-not-eating/

 

[brich999]

Wow! Quite impressive to say the least. Slightly horrifying, but impressive

 

[krichardson]

Maybe it just didn't want any more horse mackerel...Awesome creatures though.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Wow! Quite impressive to say the least. Slightly horrifying, but impressive

dude that's funny.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Those things are so creepy. Like giant potato bugs.

 

[knifegill]

Well, as a coldwater creature that is most likely comprised largely of fat and is designed to experience LONG periods without food, I'm honestly not terribly shocked by this. I do wonder if maybe it was old? Failed to molt? Maybe they can actually filter feed a bit?

 

[krichardson]

I bet they'd fetch a pretty high dollar in the pet trade.

 

[brich999]

Correct me if im wrong, but these are the parasites that attach to fish for a long time? Saw a good read on them from a french piranha site. If I wasnt on my phone id dig up the link. Those critters are the stuff of nightmares

 

[knifegill]

No, these are free creatures that scavenge the ocean floor.

 

[krichardson]

That would make them some pretty big parasites.