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"We have discovered for the first time an organism -- cavefish -- that can avoid fatty liver under starvation conditions," said Cobham.

Cavefish are cousins of the Mexican tetra river fish that flooded into underground caves over 100,000 years ago.

The researchers show that in the absence of food, cavefish at early developmental stages not only survive much longer than their river fish counterparts, but also do not accumulate liver fat.

The researchers compared gene expression levels between cavefish, river fish, zebrafish, and even fruit flies, identifying a gene that is activated during prolonged periods of starvation in all but cavefish.

"Expression levels of this gene are reduced in cavefish, which is a good indicator that if we are able to target this gene in humans, we may be able to treat or manage human metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity," said Cobham.