การฟัง TOEFL

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Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class. Professor: Today we're going to talk about a fascinating example of animal adaptation: the mimic octopus. This cephalopod, found in the waters of Southeast Asia, is famous for its ability to imitate other marine species. Unlike most octopuses that change color for camouflage, the mimic octopus goes further by changing its shape, movement, and even behavior to impersonate dangerous animals. For instance, when threatened by a predator, it may flatten its body and swim in a zigzag pattern, mimicking a poisonous sea snake. Alternatively, it can stretch its arms to resemble a venomous lionfish or bury itself in sand and extend two arms to look like a sea snake's head. Scientists believe this mimicry is not just a simple reflex but a strategic choice based on the type of predator approaching. For example, if a damselfish, a common predator, is near, the octopus mimics a banded sea snake, which is a known predator of damselfish. This adaptive behavior likely evolved because the octopus's soft body makes it vulnerable, and mimicry increases its survival chances. The discovery in the late 1990s surprised researchers, as no other octopus species exhibits such complex and deliberate mimicry.