托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating survival strategy in the animal kingdom: mimicry. But not just any mimicry—I'm focusing on a specific type called aggressive mimicry, where a predator mimics a harmless or attractive signal to lure its prey. This strategy is highly effective because it exploits the prey's natural instincts. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the anglerfish. It lives in the deep, dark ocean where food is scarce. The female anglerfish has a fleshy growth on her head that glows due to bioluminescent bacteria. Smaller fish are attracted to the light, thinking it's a tasty meal. When they approach, the anglerfish snaps them up. Second, think of the bolas spider. Instead of spinning a web, it releases a single sticky thread with a drop of glue at the end. The spider produces chemicals that mimic the sex pheromones of female moths. Male moths fly toward the scent, and the spider swings its thread to catch them. In both cases, the predators use deception to exploit the prey's natural responses—attraction to light or to pheromones—to secure a meal.