托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating phenomenon in animal behavior known as 'biological mimicry'—specifically, when animals evolve to look like a different species to gain a survival advantage. One key point I want to emphasize is that mimicry can be used not only for defense, as many people assume, but also for offense—to help predators catch their prey. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the anglerfish, which lives in the deep, dark ocean. It has a fleshy growth on its head that glows and wiggles like a small fish. Smaller fish are attracted to this glowing lure, thinking it's a meal. When they get close, the anglerfish snaps them up. This is aggressive mimicry—pretending to be something harmless to trick prey. Second, think of the jumping spider of the species Myrmarachne. This spider closely resembles an ant in shape and movement. Ants are aggressive and have strong jaws, so many predators avoid them. By mimicking an ant, this spider can walk among ants without being attacked, and it also remains safe from insect-eating birds that would otherwise eat a spider. So, in both cases, mimicry provides a clear advantage, but in very different ways.