The most interesting feature of luminescent marine crea-
tures is probably the fact that they use their light to mislead
others. A starfish species is a good example of this. This starfish species
lives about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) deep in the sea. It emits bright green-
blue light from the tip of its arms. This gleaming warning notifies its ene-
mies that it is not tasty. Another starfish species starts flashing when it is
attacked and detaches and throws one of its arms towards the enemy to di-
vert it. The attention of its enemy is distracted by the torn arm, which still
emits white light. In the meantime the starfish finds the time to flee.
As we have seen in the few examples given above, the mechanisms in living
creatures that enable them to produce light demonstrate to us the perfect
creation of Allah. What have been mentioned here are creatures that live
underwater, the dominant component of whose bodies is usually water – as
in our own bodies – and that cannot possibly have intelligence like that of
human beings. Yet each possesses such wonderful features that it aston-
ishes us to know about them. This reveals that Allah originates things
matchlessly. These examples are in order to make us comprehend that there
is no other god besides Allah, the Creator of everything. One who under-
W O N D E R F U L C R E A T U R E S
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