The Fish That Shoots Down Evolution

Vertical Thought Magazine ^ | June 2006 | Mario Seiglie

[DouglasKC]

The Fish That Shoots Down Evolution

This unusual fish uses a specialized system to blast insects out of the air. How could this evolve slowly over time when there is no survival advantage without the whole system working perfectly?

by Mario Seiglie

In Asia, Africa and Australia lives a remarkable creature, the archerfish, that shoots down its prey from the air above it with a burst of water. It uses its tongue and the top of its mouth to form a groove similar to a gun barrel. Then, by compressing its gills, it squirts water up to six feet with deadly accuracy—in spite of the distortion caused by seeing the target from below the surface of water.

What's so amazing about the archerfish's ability to shoot straight? When light passes between air and water, it is refracted, which causes a distortion. If an archerfish simply aimed at the object where it appeared to be from below the water, it could never hit its target! Yet scientists have found that archerfish are able to strike their target when sighting upwards at angles of 40 degrees!

More amazingly, marine researchers have discovered that these fish can hit their prey whether the amount of refraction is large or small. They have also found that the fishes' binocular vision allows them to see clearly at considerable distances above them, an ability other fish do not have.

An experiment

Here is an experiment. In a clear glass of water, hold a pencil at an angle halfway under the water and look at it from different positions. Notice how the pencil appears different below and above the water. That is the refraction of the light changing from the water to the air.

So how can the archerfish compensate for this distortion and know how to shoot at the right place?

Evolutionists don't know

Evolutionists still don't know how the archerfish got its amazing abilities. They can only wonder! Viewed through the distortion of evolution, they cannot explain how the archerfish gradually learned to not aim where its eyes see but to aim instead at a different spot where the target actually is.

Without its binocular vision, it could not see the object with such precision, and without the special shape of the upper mouth and a specialized tongue, it could not make the groove it needs to shoot the concentrated jet of water. Many factors have to appear together—and be perfectly formed—for this shooting mechanism to work. This, of course, goes totally against Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory, which is based on a gradual, step-by-step process.

Darwin wrote in The Origin of Species, "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down" (1859, p. 171).

The archerfish offers precisely such an example, since several complex systems must all appear at the same time, perfectly and not gradually formed—binocular vision, a specialized mouth and tongue, specialized gills to compress and expel water and an aiming system based in the brain and not in the eyes. If any of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not hit the target and no survival advantage is created.

Shooting down Darwin's theory

When you get down to the facts, the archerfish with one squirt of its gills shoots down Charles Darwin's entire theory of evolution—and that by Darwin's own admission!

So evolution doesn't have the answer to this mystery. But the Bible does. Genesis 1:20-21 says that God created all the creatures that live in the water. He created a great variety of perfectly formed fish, including the archerfish with all its special features, such as binocular vision, other specialized organs and a built-in ability to compensate for the distortion of the water. VT

[DouglasKC]

How have you determined the existence of this "God"?

Through his calling.

When did "God" design and built this fish?

He probably designed it before time began. He built it, according to the bible, on the fifth day:

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

By what methods, processes and/or mechanisms was this fish designed and built? How have you determined that the fish was "designed and built"?

I can only speculate about that because God only knows.

[sobieski]

God did make the world in 7 days. The Bible implies relativity "1,000 years is like a day for you". Relativity tells us that the measure of time depends on the users reference point. So, the inspired word of God is that He made the world in seven days, even if we measure from our frame of reference in thousands of years or billions of years.

[expatpat]

The ability to hit the target from an angle could easily have developed in small adjustments: the fish initially just does it vertically (90deg), where no refraction occurs, then learns to do it at 88deg, where there is a very small error, then 86deg and so on.

[ml/nj]

And creationists do know? Is it because God made the earth in seven days? Does that adequately explain why this fish is able to spit at targets?

This wasn't about "creationists." Maybe they are all wet too. (Certainly it seems that there is some stuff around which is older than 6000 years old.) It was about evolution, and this was yet another counter example to that theory. So why did you bring up creationists?

ML/NJ

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

"It apparently is when one believes an invisible man who lives in the sky made everything in a week and it hasn't changed since then."

LOL!

[Dimensio]

you dont prove things with science?

That is correct. Explanations in science can never be absolutely proven.

since when?

Since always.

what are observation, testability and repeatability used for in the scientific method? window dressing???

They are used to establish confidence in or disprove a given claim. They will never amount to "proof" of a claim, however, no matter how much evidence acumulates to establish confidence in that claim. There is always the possibility that a given claim will be falsified through the observation of contradictory evidence.

God designed the creatures on this earth.

Please provide evidence to support this claim.

[donh]

Well think about it for a while, you'll be greatly puzzled

And what about the fact the human legs are exactly long enough to reach the ground and articulated so as to allow them to run upright after prey? What would be the use of a body that was only partially upright to run down gazelles? Clearly another miracle. And an opposable thumb. How would a partially opposable thumb be useful for anything? Clearly, life is just chock-a-block with maracles too numerous to count.

[Dimensio]

) It was about evolution, and this was yet another counter example to that theory.

It is a poor example, amounting to "argument from incredulity" with no evidence given to support the claims made.

So why did you bring up creationists?

The article brings up the subject of creationism, in support of the topic, in its final paragraph. If you had read the article, you would know this.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Bump for reference.

[agere_contra]

God most certainly created this fish, and the mechanism he used was "numerous, successive, slight modifications".

Very succinctly put! This whole creation VERSUS evolution thing was made up of whole cloth in the 19th C. Evolution is part of God's magnificent creation: seven-day-literalists and militant atheists notwithstanding.

[freedumb2003]

Why can't creationists also recognize evolution?

Because the God image they have fashioned is recognizable and identifiable. A God that can create the Earth and animals and stuff in a few days is easy to comprehend and deal with. Like Star Trek's "Q" without the attitude.

A God that can create an entire complex process that proceeds forward requiring millions (or billions) of years? That is a God that is too complex to deal with. Create a Universe with rules that mankind may never understand? Too humbling. Better that giraffes, chimps, starlings and ostriches all just come into existence *poof*. Much more manageable and you can actually get a simple mind around it.

[Republican Party Reptile]

What explains it is that God designed and built the fish that way.

well, that's that, so there .... And since that can pretty much be applied as a reply for any subject, why do we bother to study anything at all? .. Oh, wait, that's actually your point isn't it? There is no point to study or explain anything at all, God designed and built it that way and that's the answer to everything? I knew that's what I should have put down as answer in my Quantum Physics and Partial Differential Equation final exams :)

[Dimensio]

Through his calling.

Please elaborate on this claim.

He probably designed it before time began. He built it, according to the bible, on the fifth day:

How can an event occur "before time began"? How do events happen without time? What evidence have you that the bible is an accurate source of information?

I can only speculate about that because God only knows.

Then you acknowledge that you have no evidence to support your claims at all?

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"you dont prove things with science? since when?"

Since always.

"what are observation, testability and repeatability used for in the scientific method?"

Raising ones confidence in their theories by adding more supporting evidence.

[Iscool]

"Genesis 1:20-21 says that God created all the creatures that live in the water. He created a great variety of perfectly formed fish, including the archerfish with all its special features."

My copy of the bible mentions nothing about archerfish.

My copy of the bible doesn' talk about the process God used to create all the creatures of the water, or the time frame.

Sure it does...It says he made the fish after their kind...And it says he did it in one day...

I do know that God created the universe, and in doing so, created the laws of physics that govern all of His creation.

So how do you know this if you don't know the other???Your trouble is you don't want to believe what you read...

[Celtjew Libertarian]

The problem is the combination of "hardware" and "software". The groove in the fish's mouth is of little use without the instinct to spit water at insects sitting just above the surface.

It might not of started as an instinct, but as an accident. The fish with the groove propelled water out randomly, occasionally striking insects, by chance. Because it got to feed on those accidentally struck insects, it had a survival advantage. Over generations, the accidental effect became an instinct.

[agere_contra]

The Shinano, a 72-ton carrier, on its maiden voyage

A 72-ton carrier doesn't sound all that amazing :0)

[js1138]

What explains it is that God designed and built the fish that way.

And signed His Name to it, just like the flagellum that kills infants and children.

[Oztrich Boy]

He probably designed it before time began.

When was this exactly?

[Thumper1960]

Good grief!

God created humor, too.

He?/She?Them? (Trinity) must be snickering at His?/Her?Their? children....trying to figure all this out.

:->