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

To: freedumb2003

The fact this fish has adapted provides FURTHER PROOF of TToE.

Isn't that circular logic? Because it exists, that proves that evolution is true?

81 posted on 07/04/2006 9:58:31 AM PDT by DouglasKC

On the other hand, to instinct to spit water doesn't get a fish a meal if the water doesn't have the groove to guide it

Unless it starts out eating baby water skimmers.

82 posted on 07/04/2006 9:58:36 AM PDT by donh (U)

To: DouglasKC; All

---NEWSFLASH FROM PLANET EARTH---

Neither every goldang unusual natural phenomenon nor every strange critter is a dadburn miracle!

If everything is a miracle, then nothing is a miracle. Comprendez? Capiche?

Anyway, Happy 4th of July!

83 posted on 07/04/2006 9:59:37 AM PDT by headsonpikes (Genocide is the highest sacrament of socialism.)

The image that is projected on the retina by the lens of your eye is upside down and backwards. You can prove this by closing your eye, pressing gently on the eyeball at the edges of your eye sockets, and observing where the dark spot in your vision appears. The wiring in your optic nerves and brain corrects for this inversion without your conscious effort.

have you ever done "blind spot" experiments? The ability of the brain to provide missing information, even very complex patterns, freaks me out as much as (or ore than) an episode of "MindFreak."

It is humbling that God created a process (Evolution) that ended up with such a beautifully complex thing such as a human being.

It is sad that CRIDers put handcuffs on the ability of The Almighty.

84 posted on 07/04/2006 9:59:49 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Let them die of thirst in the dark.)

you posited a way that is not verifiable, so it is no more than an opinion, not science.

It does not matter, as the initial argument itself is not science, but rather an appeal to a logical fallacy. All that is needed is to show that the claim is false.

85 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:02 AM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)

You've probably heard this before, but God designed a wide degree of variability into humans and animals so that we could survive in a number of different environments

You're right, and it's called evolution by variation and selection.

86 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:02 AM PDT by donh (U)

"GOD has built in the compensation."

Here's your answer, once and for all. Ready???

Drum-roll please....

GOD CREATED EVOLUTION!!!!

TA DA!!!

Stop wasting your time worrying about evolution. The theory of evolution is not even a remote threat to faith. Geesh!

87 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:14 AM PDT by Hound of the Baskervilles ("Well, Watson, we seem to have fallen upon evil days.")

The Archerfish also has another special significance.

During World War II, the USS Archer-Fish, a submarine, discovered, followed and sunk the mightiest Japanese aircraft carrier ever built, the Shinano. The Shinano, a 72-ton carrier, on its maiden voyage.. was sunk before she ever fired a shot!

88 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:49 AM PDT by Spottys Spurs

And Darwin is going to explain why chimps never evolved into anything?

Into what should chimps evolve, and why?

89 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:52 AM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)

That could be. Darwin wrote that 150 years ago. He did not have the means to view rapid evolution like we do today. As I understand, evolution says nothing about origin, that's why I don't understand why creationists have their panties in such a knot.

Why can't creationists also recognize evolution?

90 posted on 07/04/2006 10:00:58 AM PDT by phantomworker (Live life so completely, when death comes like a thief in the night, there is nothing left to steal.)

To: LauraleeBraswell

Does that adequately explain why this fish is able to spit at targets?

The existence of God would explain it. Why wouldn't it?

92 posted on 07/04/2006 10:02:41 AM PDT by Tribune7

To: George - the Other

Sciences like stratigraphy and processes like radiometric dating, all based on the laws of physics, laws created by God, show that life on this planet evolved over a period of immense time.

Psssst!

God's messing with your head.

;->

93 posted on 07/04/2006 10:03:14 AM PDT by Thumper1960 (Politicians are like diapers. They need changed often, and for the same reasons.)

To: LauraleeBraswell

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?

_________________________

You are asking the wrong question. WHY is never an answerable question. Antecedents are never knowable. Causes expand backward to include an infinity of alternatives.
The only valid question is WHAT. By understanding WHAT the fish is doing we are able to learn HOW it occurs. HOW gives us imagination and invention.
A piece of wood, a spring and 2 or 3 pieces of wire are not a mousetrap. To kill mice is WHAT, unless, that is, you are making a model airplane - another WHAT. In which case HOW is instrumental.
Without thought no amount of random shaking together produces a mousetrap or a model airplane. WHAT is the ineffible force that creates each.

94 posted on 07/04/2006 10:03:25 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell

To: JusPasenThru

Perhaps, if you restricted your arguments to reality rather than absurd strawmen, you would carry more credibility.

95 posted on 07/04/2006 10:03:35 AM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)

Isn't that circular logic? Because it exists, that proves that evolution is true?

Because it has evolved special skills unique to its environment proves that TToE is true.

But to some degree, TToE says "survivors survive." This is not circular logic -- it is a theory based on the observation on how so many different species under different circumstances physically change over time to adapt to their environment. Those that cannot adapt cease to exist (despite the example of Liberals, but this is over a LONG period of time).

Existence IS proof of TToE.

96 posted on 07/04/2006 10:03:40 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Let them die of thirst in the dark.)

A fascinating fish...

No doubt...They apparently can determine trajectory, altitude, velocity, wind speed and direction, speed of the flying bug, as well as anticipate the bug's changes in direction, speed, etc...

They're smarter than I am (no comments please)...

I wonder if anyone's ask them their views on evolution...

97 posted on 07/04/2006 10:03:43 AM PDT by Iscool (I spent MOST of my MONEY on cold beer and hot women...The REST, I just wasted ...)

God's messing with your head.

LOL!!! You're gonna get it!!!!!

99 posted on 07/04/2006 10:04:36 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Let them die of thirst in the dark.)

To: Hound of the Baskervilles

The theory of evolution is not even a remote threat to faith. Geesh!

LOLOL! Well said.

100 posted on 07/04/2006 10:04:58 AM PDT by phantomworker (Live life so completely, when death comes like a thief in the night, there is nothing left to steal.)

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