The Wonders of God’s Creation
There are over 20,000 species of fish in the world, and all have been designed by the Creator for the particular part of the ocean, or other bodies of water, where they live. Let’s look at a few that make their home in the Red Sea.
One of them, a foot-long fish called the stargazer, hides itself completely in the ocean’s sandy bottom, with only its strange mouth showing with teeth that look like broken pieces of spaghetti. Small fish, curious about this exhibit, are immediately snapped up by the stargazer’s vicious mouth.
Garden eels anchor their tails in burrows at the sea bottom; the rest of their yard-long bodies are held straight up toward the surface, swaying in the current and looking like stalks of seaweed. They never leave that position (except when frightened), but sway toward one another — sometimes in a friendly way — sometimes to fight. If a diver or another object frightens them they sink into their burrows, completely hidden, and remain there until the danger is past. Small bits of marine life drifting by provide food for them.
The jet-black razor fish is very timid and when frightened drops to the bottom and lies there like a piece of black rubber or a greasy rag until the intruder, apparently fooled, leaves the area. Like the stargazer, sometimes it will bury itself in the sand.
Still another Red Sea native is a six-inch-wide, bright-red sea urchin, related to and looking a little like a starfish. This one has hundreds of black prickly spines all over its body, just like a porcupine, to protect it.
Another odd one is the dark-brown sea moth, with a long, narrow snout and heavy, armor-like coat just the color of the sandy ocean floor. As it glides slowly along with almost transparent “wings” spread out, it is almost invisible. But when pursued it can put on a burst of speed to escape all but the swiftest fish. The armor becomes too tight for the sea moth as it grows, and drops off from time to time, but is soon replaced by new armor.
A snapping shrimp and a little fish called the goby, are real chummy companions and make their home together in a burrow in the sea bottom. This shows how well they get along; the shrimp uses its claws to keep the burrow entrance open and while doing this, it makes sure one of its tentacles is always touching its companion. If the goby senses danger it wiggles its body in warning, and the shrimp immediately scoots down the burrow — followed promptly by the goby.
These are just a few of the millions of fish watched over by the Creator. His eyes never leave them, just as He watches over every person in the world, for we are told, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3). What do His eyes see as He looks at you?
ML-05/15/1988