Masters of Disguise

Uma kuziwa ekusindeni olwandle, ngezinye izikhathi ukuzivikela okungcono kakhulu ukufihla okungcono kakhulu. Zihlonyiswe ngokushintshashintsha komumo nokushintsha kombala, izidalwa zasolwandle eziningi ziye zashintsha zaba izingcweti zokufihla, zihlangana kahle nezindawo ezihlala kuzo ezihlukahlukene ezizungezile.

Ezilwaneni ezincane, ukuzivumelanisa nezimo okunjalo kubonakala kubalulekile uma kuziwa ekudidekeni nasekugwemeni izilwane ezidla ezinye ezingase zibe khona. Amaphiko ashintshashintshayo kadrako wasolwandle onamaqabunga, ngokwesibonelo, acishe afane nekhaya lezinhlanzi zasolwandle, okulivumela ukuba licashe kalula lapho libonakala khona.

Ezinye izilwane zasemanzini zisebenzisa ukucasha ukuze zeqe inyamazane engaqaphile, inikeze abazingeli into emangalisa ngokukhipha amandla amancane. Ngokwesibonelo, thatha i-crocodile fish. Njengoba isithwe ulwandle olunesihlabathi esihlotshaniswa nezixhobo zamakhorali ezihlala emanzini angajulile, ingwenya izolala amahora amaningi ukuze iqamekele inkalankala noma inkalankala edlulayo.

Kusukela ekuguqukeni kwemvelo okuyinkimbinkimbi kuya ekushintsheni okungokwemvelo kokushintsha umbala, izidalwa zasolwandle ziye zasungula ngokusobala ezinye zezindlela ezihlakaniphe kakhulu zokuhamba futhi zisinde ezilwaneni “ezibulalayo noma ezibulawayo. Noma kunjalo, uhlobo olulodwa luye lwabonakala luzidlula kude zonke ezinye ekwazini kwalo ukufihla ngaphansi kwamanzi.

Ingwane elingisayo, i-thaumoctopus imicus, iphazamise yonke imibono yesayensi ecatshangwe ngaphambili mayelana nemingcele yokulingisa. Izinhlobo eziningi zezilwane zinenhlanhla ngokushintsha ukhiye owodwa wokuzifihla ukuze ugweme izilwane ezizingelayo noma ziqamekele inyamazane. Hhayi ingwane elingisayo. I-Thaumoctopus ilingisa iyisilwane sokuqala esake satholwa ukuthi samukele ukubukeka nokuziphatha kwezinto ezingaphezu kweyodwa. Ihlala emanzini afudumele, aludaka asuka e-Indonesia nase-Malaysia, ingwane ezilingisayo, esimweni sayo esivamile, ingakala ibe cishe amafidi amabili ubude, iziqhayise ngemigqa namabala ansundu namhlophe. Nokho, i-thaumoctopus mimicus ayivamisile ukuhlala ibukeka njengengwane isikhathi eside. Eqinisweni, i-shape-shifter enezimbotshana iye yaba nekhono kakhulu ekubeni ingabi ingwane, yakwazi ukubalekela ukutholwa komuntu kwaze kwaba ngu-1998. Namuhla, ngisho nangemva kokucwaninga okugxilile kokuhlolisisa, ukujula kochungechunge lwengwane elingisayo akwaziwa.

Ngisho nasekuqaleni, wonke ama-octopus (noma i-octopi, womabili alungile ngokwezobuchwepheshe) angompetha bobuqili. Ngenxa yokuthi azinawo amathambo, ama-octopus angochwepheshe bokungqubuzana, abalawula kalula izitho zabo eziningi ukuze bampintshane ezindaweni eziqinile noma baguqule ukubukeka kwabo. Ngokuphazima kweso, isikhumba sazo singashintsha sisuke ekubeni esishelelayo futhi esibushelelezi sibe namaqhuqhuva futhi esimangelengele ngemizuzwana nje. Futhi, ngenxa yokwanda noma ukufinyela kwama-chromatophore kumaseli awo, umbala wama-octopus ungashintsha ngokushesha iphethini nomthunzi ukuze ufane nendawo ezungezile. Okwenza ingwane elingisayo ihluke kontanga bayo be-cephalopod akuyona nje imvunulo yayo emangalisayo, kodwa ama-chops ayo okulingisa angenakuqhathaniswa.

Njengabo bonke abalingisi abakhulu, ingwane elingisayo ibhekelela izethameli zayo. Lapho ibhekene nesilwane esizingelayo esilambile, ingwane elingisa ingwane ingase izenze ibhubesi elinobuthi ngokuhlela amathente ayo ayisishiyagalombili ukuze afane nemigogodla yenhlanzi enemigqa.

Noma mhlawumbe ingase iwuvule ngokuphelele umzimba wayo ukuze ibukeke njenge-stingray noma ematheni anobuthi.

Uma ihlaselwa, ingwane ingase ilingise inyoka yasolwandle enobuthi, ibhoboze ikhanda layo namathente ayo ayisithupha ngaphansi komhlaba futhi isonte izitho zayo ezisele ngendlela eyinyoka.

Ingwane elilingisayo iphinde yabonwa izenza ama-seahorses, i-starfish, izinkalankala, ama-anemone, ama-shrimp, ne-jellyfish. Ezinye zezingubo zayo azikakacindezelwa namanje, njengendoda egijimayo emnandi evezwe ngezansi.

Okunye okungaguquki kumamaski amaningi we-octopus' ukuthi ngayinye ibulala ngokusobala noma ayidleki. Ingwane elingisayo icabange kahle ukuthi ngokuzenza izilwane ezisongela kakhulu, ingahamba ngokukhululeka nangokuphepha kulo lonke ikhaya layo elingaphansi kwamanzi. Njengoba inolwandle lwezinto ezifihliwe ezisebenzayo futhi azikho ezinye izinhlobo ze-cephalopod ezihlanganyela ekulingiseni, ingwane elingisayo ibeka ukuzivikela kwe-ink-squirt yendabuko futhi ibalekela izingwane ehlazweni.