“Fanga Kiʻi Lēlue” ʻOku Ulo ʻi he Fakapoʻulí

◼ ʻI ha efiafi lōngonoa ʻi he feituʻu ʻuta ʻo Pelēsilá, ʻoku hūhū mai ai ha kiʻi “lēlue” valevale ʻi lalo ʻi he veveveveʻi ʻakau ʻo e vaotaá. ʻOku hulu ʻe ha ongo “maama muʻa” lanu kulokula ʻa hono halá, pea fakamaama ʻa hono ongo tafaʻakí ʻe he ngaahi hoaʻi maama lanu engeenga mo lanu mata ʻe 11. Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku ʻikai ko ha lēlue anga-maheni eni. ʻI hono kehé, ko ha ʻunufe ia ʻoku milimita ʻe 70 hono lōloá ʻi he fāmili ʻo e mongomongá, ʻa ia ʻoku maʻu ʻi ʻAmelika mo ʻAmelika Tonga. Koeʻuhi ko e fanga mongomonga fefiné, ʻa ia ʻoku nau tauhi maʻu honau faʻunga ʻunufé, ʻoku nau meimei tatau mo e fanga kiʻi lēlue ʻoku ulo ʻa lotó, ʻoku faʻa ui ai kinautolu ko e fanga kiʻi ʻunufe halanga lēlue. ʻOku ui kinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻi he kolo ʻuta ʻo Pelēsilá ko e fanga kiʻi lēlue.

Lolotonga ʻa e taimi ʻahó ʻoku faingataʻa ai ke fakatokangaʻi ʻa e ʻunufe lanu melomelo vaivaí. Ka ʻi he taimi poʻulí ʻokú ne fakaʻaliʻali ʻa ʻene ʻi aí ʻaki ʻene ngaahi maama fakaʻofoʻofa fakaofó. Ko e fanga kiʻi maama ko ení ʻoku fakaulo ia ʻe he kemikale ko e luciferin, ʻa ia ʻoku fio fakataha mo e ʻenisaime luciferase, ʻo maʻu ai ʻa e maama ʻikai tupu mei ha meʻa ʻoku mafana. Ko e ngaahi lanu ʻo e māmá ʻoku kau ki ai ʻa e kulokula, moli, engeenga mo e lanu mata.

Ko e ongo maama muʻa kulokulá ʻokú na meimei ulo hokohoko—ka ʻoku ʻikai ke pehē ʻa e ngaahi maama engeenga mo lanu mata ʻi he tafaʻakí. ʻOku pehē ʻe he fakatotoló ko e ongo maama muʻá ʻoku tokoni ia ki he ʻunufé ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻa e fanga kiʻi ʻunufe kulá, ʻa ia ʻokú ne ifoʻia taha aí, lolotonga ia ko e fanga kiʻi maama ʻi he tafaʻakí ʻoku hā ngali ʻokú ne tuli ʻa e filí, hangē ko e fanga loó, fanga potó mo e fanga kiʻi hiná. Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku ʻoatu ʻe he uló ʻa e pōpoaki: “ʻOku ou ifo tamaki. ʻAlu mamaʻo!” Fakatatau ki ai, ʻoku ulo ʻa e ngaahi maama ʻi he tafaʻakí ʻi he taimi ʻoku ongoʻi ai ʻe he ʻunufé ʻoku ʻi ai ha filí. ʻOku nau toe ulo foki ʻi he taimi ʻokú ne ʻohofi ai ʻa e fanga kiʻi ʻunufe kulá mo e taimi ʻokú ne vilo takai ai ʻi hono ngaahi fuá. ʻI he ngaahi tuʻunga anga-mahení, ʻoku ulo ʻo fakalalahi ʻa e ngaahi maama ʻi he tafaʻakí ki heʻene ulo lahi tahá pea toki fakapoʻuli leva—ʻoku hoko kotoa eni ʻi he ngaahi sekoni siʻi—ʻo toutou fai ʻene ulo mo maté fakatatau ki he fiemaʻú.

ʻIo, naʻa mo e ʻi he veveveveʻi ʻakau ʻo e vaotaá, ʻoku lava ke te sio ai ki ha meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa fakaofo, ʻa ia ʻoku fakamanatu mai ai ʻa e ngaahi lea fakahīkihiki ʻa e tokotaha-tohi-sāmé ki he Tokotaha-Fakatupú: “ʻOku fonu ʻa mamani ʻi hoʻo koloa.”​—Sāme 104:24.

[Maʻuʻanga ʻo e Tā ʻi he peesi 26]

Robert F. Sisson/​National Geographic Image Collection