托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating behavior in the animal kingdom called 'cooperative hunting.' Now, cooperative hunting is when animals work together in groups to catch prey that they couldn't catch alone. This is not just about social animals like wolves or lions; it happens in some surprising species as well. Let me give you two examples to illustrate this. First, consider the humpback whale. These whales work in groups to create something called 'bubble nets.' They swim in a circle below a school of fish, blowing bubbles to create a wall of bubbles that traps the fish. Then, they take turns swimming through the net to feed. This technique allows them to catch far more fish than any single whale could. Second, think about the praying mantis shrimp. Wait, actually, that's not a social animal. Let me correct that – a better example is the moray eel and the grouper. These two different species hunt together. The grouper signals to the moray eel, and they cooperate to flush out prey hiding in the coral. The grouper chases fish into the crevices, and the eel swims in to catch them. So, as you can see, cooperative hunting is a strategy used by various animals to increase their hunting success, whether they are of the same species or different species.