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Colours of the Undersea
Life under the surface of the sea is very different from on land. All
the features of sea-dwelling creatures are organised in such a way as
to enable them to live in water in the easiest way possible. Humans cannot
see in water as well as do fish, because the human eye does not have the
features that would allow it to attain sharp eyesight underwater. The
human eye does not have a lens system such as that of the fish, and is
not spherical and hard like that of a fish, so it does not have as sharp
sight underwater as the fish. It cannot allow as precisely as fish do
for foreshortening of distances in the water due to refraction, as it
cannot estimate the refraction of light in water.
Allah has created every living being with the most suitable characteristics
for the environment it inhabits. Creatures living under the sea constitute
only a small part of the examples of Allah's artistry in creation. Allah
has no partner in creation and everything is under His control.
There is no other god besides Allah. Allah - He
is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Al 'Imran: 62)
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| A shrimp moves undisturbed
along the surface of a sea anemone. The transparency of these small
crustaceans is extraordinary, because in most transparent animals
some major part of the body still remains visible. For example, most
cannot manage to conceal their digestive systems and the food contained
inside them. In some species, only the tail and a part of the pincers
are coloured. These small details of colour are useful in enabling
the shrimp to "disappear"; the contrast between the transparent parts
and the colourful markings is so pronounced that would-be predators
are drawn to the markings themselves and are not able to perceive
the over-all outline of the animal.42 |
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The photograph on the left belongs to a rock lobster.
This lobster, a perfect example of harmony in colour
and design, is adorned with shades of red. 43Above
is a coral. Billions of corals lie together. They combine
with each other by special secretions, and form a limestone
skeleton. On this skeleton, they secrete a coloured
substance: red, pink, and occasionally black or white. |
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In the depths of the sea, starting from 200 metres
below the surface, there is no light at all. However, when reaching
the bottom of the oceans, which are even deeper than the height
of Everest, we come across a multicoloured world. The striped anemone
fish, which live in anemone plants, seen in the photograph above,
are also members of this world.
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cochlea (Nudibranches) is one of the most interesting animals of the
underwater world. With their interesting designs and extraordinary
colours, these animals are a species of cochlea without a shell. On
the pictures above are examples of a few species. These creatures,
which have soft bodies, are protected by a strong poison. Their striking
colour warns their predators that they are very poisonous. They obtain
their poison from the plants they eat.44 |
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| The body of the seahorse is covered with plaque-shaped
bones. Seahorses are not very good at swimming. For this reason,
they live by clinging to corals. Since seahorses can change their
colour quickly, they are easily protected from their enemies. |
One of the most curious and useful features of molluscs is their
so-called "cloak" - the tissue that covers their bodies and forms
a "second shell". As the photograph reveals, the cloak slowly covers
the shell and interrupts the chromatic uniformity that could betray
the animal's presence.45. |
Spider crabs are remarkably diverse in size and shape. They range
from gigantic Japanese Spider Crab, with metre-long legs, to the miniature
coral-reef species seen above. Their patterns blend remarkably well
will the poly-studded texture of their hosts. |
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Scorpion fish live along the seabed in temperate
or tropical zones and never venture out to open sea. They are carnivorous
and feed on smaller fish. The long, fan-shaped pectoral fins are
an excellent deterrent to the fish's enemies, and the red-and-white
stripes make it difficult for their prey to see them against a backdrop
of coral.46 Scorpion fish have a very colourful appearance
but can easily become invisible among the corals, which are also
very colourful.
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The members of the Soleidea species, such
as soles and rhombuses (above), are extremely mimetic. Their benthic
(i.e., bottom-dwelling) nature forces them to imitate the substratum
as much as possible. The crocodile fish (below) uses its colour
to hide from predators.47
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| Crinoids, seen on the photograph,
are sea tulips in the shape of lilies. They have long, thin, flower-like
spiked arms. There is poisonous mucus on their arms. They absorb the
oxygen in water through their arms by filtering it.49 |
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| An octopus, photographed at night, makes its skin flare to appear
larger. This iridescent green colour is seen almost exclusively after
dark.48 Some species can become at one with the deep-sea
underwater patterns. |
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The mantis shrimp (seen on tle left) is only
one of the creatures of the undersea that has an interesting appearance
and bright colours. Its protruding eyes are among the most complex
eyes in nature. (Seen on the right), are painted prawns, which live
amid the spines of a poisonous sea urchin.50
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42. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.55
43. National Geographic, October 1989, p.518
44. The Guinnes Enyclopedia of Living World, 1992, p.167
45. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.56
46. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.122
47. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.62
48. Karl Roessler, Coral Kingdoms, Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., Publishers, 1986, p.44
49. National Geographic, December 1996, p.118-120
50. Karl Roessler, Coral Kingdoms, Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., Publishers, 1986, p.125
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