Close your eyes and imagine a dark blue sky with a pinch of light far away, colorful species of the marine underworld, and beautiful coral reefs. This is what a fish’s view is like for the most part. Oh, to be a fish. Fish can live in all aquatic habitats, rocky shores, coral reefs, kelp forests, rivers and streams, lakes, and ponds, under ice, in the deep sea, and in other environments of fresh, salt, and brackish water.
For balance and movement, fish use their fins. Fins are either single along the centerline of the fish: the dorsal fin, anal fin, and tail fin; or paired fins: the pectoral fins and ventral fins. Pelvic and pectoral fins allow the fish to maneuver and maintain their stability. The dorsal fin is also used in balance, but its main function is usually protection. The ventral fin and anal fin are located on the bottom or belly of the fish and help with steering as well as balance. The tail fin propels the fish forward while swimming. The keel, a lateral ridge found just anterior to each side of the tail fin, of some types of fast-swimming fish, improves the stability of the fish's attitude at speed in the water, and strengthens the support of the tail fin.
Most fish have scales covering the length of their body. Scales protect fish from injury, much like the skin on the human body. On top of these scales is a mucus covering known as the slime layer. Slime protects fish from bacteria and parasites in the water. Also, most fish are also cold-blooded, meaning that their surrounding environment largely regulates their body temperature.
To explore the beauty of the deep ocean life, humans invented submersibles, small watercrafts designed to operate underwater. A submersible is different from a submarine in that the latter is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power, whereas the former is usually supported by a surface vessel, platform, shore team or sometimes a larger submarine. Without such an invention, humans would not have been able to record and collect information from the ocean's water column and seafloor for scientific analysis.
Needless to say, the mechanics of building underwater vessels were inspired by the design of fish. For example, both fish and submarines use chemical processes to convert oxygen in seawater for breathing. Fish possess a system for feeling pressure waves in water produced by predators and prey or to avoid obstacles. Similarly, in a submarine, this is an arrangement of hydrophones – sensors that convert changes in water pressure into electrical signals. On another note, militaries use submarines to patrol ocean waters and to attack enemy ships during wartime.
Thus, this could be a double-edged sword that humans can misuse and cause harm. However, fish are only there for good reasons, not harmful ones. In addition, while fish spend their life under the ocean, submarines can be submerged for a duration that lasts 111 days only. Moreover, submarines are very costly to make. The process of manufacturing a submarine requires the assembly of raw materials such as alloys, steel, and acrylics using the architectural blueprints of the vessel as a guide. Thus, this process requires tremendous time, knowledge, effort, skill, and money.
Looking at the submarine, we certainly understand that its raw materials did not come together on their own, nor were they constructed by the wind. To build submarines, one needs a team of marine engineers and naval architects to design, build, and maintain them. In addition to skills, knowledge is also an essential requirement to know how to build submarines and ensure they function properly. This accumulation of knowledge developed over time, and it took engineers and scientists years of trials to come up with the sophisticated submarines of today.
The world’s first working prototype of a submarine was built in the 17th century by Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch polymath and inventor. Drebbel’s sub was probably a modified rowboat coated in greased leather and manned by a team of oarsmen. In the 18th century, during the American Revolution, inventor and Yale graduate David Bushnell developed an experimental submarine called the “Turtle.” This one-man wooden craft relied on a human-powered hand crank and foot treadle for propulsion.
A pedal-operated water tank allowed it to submerge and surface, and a lead ballast kept it upright in the water. A century later, American engineer Simon Lake built the Argonaut, a 36-foot craft powered by a 30-horsepower gasoline engine. As a result, submarines were significantly enhanced from the 20th century onwards.
By observing the timeline of the development of submarines we realize that to make such a vessel one needs to have knowledge, power, experience, will, and intelligence. A dog can never make such an invention, nor can all the fish of the underworld altogether. In fact, not even a group of literate individuals can do that unless they are specialized in a relevant field.
If building a submarine requires this much effort, then how about creating fish that are much more sophisticated than submarines? Is it possible that nature knew that fish would need gills to absorb oxygen? Is it the one who taught fish to swim together in synchrony to protect themselves? Is nature aware of every single fish out there? Does it have consciousness or any form of intelligence? Can the beautiful colors of fish and their camouflage mechanism be a result of a blind natural force? Were fish created randomly? Can fish food such as zooplankton, algae, and sponges know how to turn into such amazing lifeforms without the involvement of a Designer with knowledge, power, and wisdom? Absolutely not. Fish are important for reasons not limited to maintaining the marine ecosystem and benefiting human beings. Indeed, just like submarines have a team of experts behind them, fish are signs that point to a powerful Creator.
The fantastic fish are among the creatures that humans heavily rely on as a source of food. They are key players in the economy of some countries like Bangladesh and Norway as they export millions of tonnes of fishery products annually. There is a beautiful, interconnected relationship between fish and the entire universe. Fish are rich in calcium and phosphorus and are a great source of minerals, such as iron and zinc which were created through the oven of a supernova explosion. On a macro level, fish also play an important role in nutrient cycles because they store a large proportion of ecosystem nutrients in their tissues, transport nutrients farther than other aquatic animals, and excrete nutrients in dissolved forms that are readily available to primary producers. Fish are filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2, which are essential to humans. On a micro level, fish are designed in a way to survive the extreme conditions of the ocean to be of use to other creatures. Therefore, the Creator of fish must be the Creator of all other living beings who are dependent on them. Human bodies are organized in a way to extract the omega-3 fatty acids from the fish.
So, the creator of our digestive system is the one who graced fish with such nutrients and fatty acids. He must be Al-Aleem (All-Knowing) who knows our needs that can be fulfilled by fish whether physiologically or even economically. He is the Al-Hakeem (All-Wise ) who has placed fish in different aquatic mediums and made them of different sizes and shapes.
He is Al-Jameel (The Beautiful) who gave fish their wonderful colors. He is Al-Nafi’ (The Benefactor) who made fish be of benefit to other organisms and to humans. Fish represent His Name Az-Zahir (The Manifest) when we observe them with our own eyes, and His name Al-Batin (The Hidden) when we reflect on the inner functioning of fish body and their soul.
Do you think that without fish, aquatic ecosystems would have survived? Probably not! Indeed, without fish, life as we know it will run into many troubles. The ocean will no longer be able to perform many of its essential functions, leading to a lower quality of life. Some people could starve as they lose one of their main food sources. Therefore, the presence of fish is of utmost importance.
Do you think you can create a fish if all fish species went to extinction? Surely, even if all the scientists in the world gathered their resources and knowledge together, they would still not be able to create a single fish. This leads us to realize that human knowledge can never match that of God’s, and for that, we should be humbled.
We should acknowledge the Creator of the fantastic fish, reflect on the valuable existence of such creatures, and be thankful to the Creator for this blessing. We should keep the sea and ocean clean to avoid harming sea creatures because by doing so, we also abstain from harming ourselves.
By observing the creation of fish, we learn to accept our physical appearance and appreciate our differences, for we all shine in different colors, sizes, and shapes. We can also learn how to live a happy life in simplicity since we can see that all fish really need is clean water and food. The harmonious relationship between fish species reminds us that we all need to be kind to one another and be of benefit to one another for the sake of living together on this planet, in harmony.