IMBAMBELA okuthiwa i-cuttlefish, ikwazi ukuzifihla ngokushintsha umbala, ngendlela cishe iso lomuntu elingeke likwazi ukuyibona. Ngokusho komunye umbiko, lezi zimbambela “zaziwa ngokuba nemibala eminingi ehlukahlukene futhi zingashintshela kuyo ngokuphazima kweso.” Zikwenza kanjani lokhu?

Cabanga ngalokhu: Le mbambela ishintsha umbala wayo ngokusebenzisa ingqamuzana lohlobo olukhethekile elibizwa nge-chromatophore, elitholakala ngaphansi kwesikhumba. La mangqamuzana anokuthile okusasakana okugcwele imibala ehlukahlukene futhi azungezwe izicutshana ezincane. Lapho le mbambela ifuna ukuzishintsha umbala, ubuchopho bayo buthumela umyalezo ukuze imisipha ezungeze la masakana ifinyele. Ngemva kwalokho, la masakana nombala ongaphakathi kuyendlaleka, futhi le mbambela ikwazi ukuzishintsha umbala. Imbambela ingase ingalisebenziseli ukushintsha umbala kuphela leli khono, kodwa nokukhanga eyobulili obuhlukile, mhlawumbe nokuxhumana nezinye.

Onjiniyela baseNyuvesi YaseBristol, eNgilandi, bákha isikhumba sokuzenzela sembambela. Bafaka izingcwecwe ezimnyama zenjoloba phakathi kwemishini emincane esebenzisa okwezicubu zembambela. Lapho abacwaningi bexhuma ugesi kulesi sikhumba, le mishini yaba yisicaba futhi yendlala izingcwecwe ezimnyama, okwashintsha umbala wesikhumba sokuzenzela waba mnyama.

Ngokukanjiniyela uJonathan Rossiter, ucwaningo ngezicubu zembambela—“ezithambile futhi eziklanywe kahle kakhulu”—lungaholela ekutheni kube nezimpahla ezishintsha umbala ngomzuzwana nje. URossiter uthi izimpahla eziwumfuziselo wale mbambela, abantu bangase bazigqokele imibala yazo eshintshayo—noma imfashini.

Ucabangani? Ingabe ikhono lembambela lokuzishintsha umbala lazivelela? Noma ingabe laklanywa?