UMary Allen
I-Starfish zizilwanyana ezihlala kumgangatho wolwandle. Bafumana igama labo kwimilo yabo: Bakhangeleka njengeenkwenkwezi ezineengalo ezintlanu ubuncinane. Ukuba icandelo lilunyiwe, liya kuphinda likhule. Kwimeko yengozi, banokubopha ingalo ngokwabo.
Kwi-biology, i-starfish yenza iklasi ukusuka kwi-echinoderm phylum. Kukho malunga ne-1600 iintlobo ezahlukeneyo. Ziyahluka ngobukhulu, ukusuka kwiisentimitha ezimbalwa ukuya kwimitha enye. Abaninzi banengalo ezintlanu, kodwa banokuba ngamashumi amahlanu. Ezinye iintlobo zikhula iingalo ezintsha kubo bonke ubomi bazo.
Intlanzi ezininzi zestarfish zine spines phezulu. Zineenyawo ezincinci ngaphantsi ezizisebenzisayo ukuhambahamba. Iikomityi zokufunxa nazo zingabandakanywa. Bathanda ukuzincamathela kwiipaneli ze-aquarium, umzekelo.
Abantu babambisa i-starfish ukuze bazitye okanye bahombise amakhaya abo ngazo. Zikwasetyenziswa njengokutya kweenkukhu. AmaIndiya ahlukahlukeneyo namaYiputa amandulo ayezisebenzisa njengezichumiso kumasimi awo. Nangona kunjalo, i-starfish ayikho engozini.
Ziphila njani istarfish?
Phantse zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana zihlala kumanzi angekho nzulu, apho kukho iibbs kunye nokuhamba. I-starfish ezimbalwa, kwelinye icala, zihlala kulwandle olunzulu. Bangakwazi ukuhlala kwiindawo ezitshisayo, kodwa nakwi-Arctic kunye ne-Antarctic. Abanye banokuhlala kumanzi anebraki, amanzi acocekileyo axutywe namanzi anetyuwa.
Ezinye iintlobo zitya i-algae kunye nodaka, ngelixa ezinye zitya i-carrion okanye i-mollusk ezifana ne-snails okanye i-mussels, okanye intlanzi. Umlomo ukwicala elingaphantsi kumbindi womzimba. Ezinye iintlobo zinokudumba izisu. Banamandla aneleyo kwiinyawo zabo ezincinci ukutyhala amaqokobhe embaza ahlukane. Emva koko baye bagaye ixhoba labo kuqala baze balitsalele emizimbeni yabo. Ezinye iintlobo ziginya amaxhoba azo ephela.
I-Starfish ayinayo intliziyo kwaye ngoko ayinagazi kwaye ayinayo inkqubo yokujikeleza. Ngamanzi kuphela ahamba emzimbeni wakhe. Kwakhona abanantloko yaye abanangqondo. Kodwa imithambo-luvo emininzi ibaleka emzimbeni wakhe. Ngeeseli ezikhethekileyo, ziyakwazi ukwahlula phakathi kokukhanya nobumnyama. Abanye abaphandi bawagqala njengamehlo alula.
I-Starfish ivelisa ngeendlela ezininzi ezahlukeneyo. Kwiimeko ezininzi, inkunzi ikhuphela amadlozi ayo emanzini, ize imazi ikhuphe amaqanda ayo. Kulapho ukuchumisa kwenzeka khona. Amaqanda akhula abe yimibungu aze emva koko abe yistarfish. Ezinye iiseli zamaqanda ziqhama kwisibeleko sikamama zize zitye umthubi weqanda lakhe apho. Ziqandusela njengezilwanyana eziphilayo. Sekunjalo, abanye bakhula kumzali omnye, oko kukuthi, ngokwesini.