“Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made... the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.” Neh. 9:66Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. (Nehemiah 9:6).
Sticklebacks are a common fish found in both fresh and salt waters across the United States. They get their name from the sharp spines standing up on top of their bodies. The most common is the three-spined variety, a very lively little fellow about two inches long. There is also a 4-spined, a 10-spined and a 15-spined, which, at four inches long, is the largest of all.
The one we will look at is the three-spined, rather pretty in its grayish-golden color that takes on added patches of red in the springtime. In spite of its small size it is a tough fighter, especially in nesting season.
Two of them in combat will dart and snap at each other. If one gets his teeth in, he will hang on like a bulldog, whirling around and around until the other admits defeat and escapes. When this happens the winner’s shining green sides, golden and scarlet head and silvery-white stomach become brighter, but the loser’s colors fade in defeat. However, if he wins a battle later, the bright colors come out again.
Sometimes after the winner has chased the loser away, the loser gets bold and chases the winner back home. Then they go at it again, never actually fighting, but chasing back and forth until they get tired of the game.
Fights are usually in defense of a nest composed of all kinds of fibers found in the water and fastened together with a sticky material given off by the male. In defending his nest, this little fellow’s fierceness is great enough to scare away fish much larger than itself.
The nest builder (male) convinces several females to use it as a place to lay their eggs. Strangely, a female will often turn right around and eat the eggs she has just laid if the male fighter doesn’t chase her away. The eggs incubate in ten days and then the nest he has worked so hard on is destroyed. Most of his time is then spent guarding the young ones until they are able to take care of themselves.
It surely seems strange that, contrary to the usual pattern of parents, the mother fish has no interest in her young ones, and if the father didn’t care for them they would not survive. But it is another example of the Creator’s interest in making a wide variety of creatures, and we know from the verse at the beginning of this article that He cares for even such tiny beings as these. We, too, need God’s care and protection, and He tells us to “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” 1 Chronicles 16:11,1211Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 12Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; (1 Chronicles 16:11‑12). Have you thanked Him for such loving care?
ML-09/25/1988