Charles Darwin, (1909), The Voyage of the Beagle, page: 24 (1st edition 1839; Didion antennatus is a synonym for Chilomycterus antennatus.)
“
I have heard from Dr. Allan of Forres, that he has frequently found a Didion, floating alive and distended, in the stomach of the shark; and that on several occasions he has known it eat its way, not only through the coats of the stomach, but through the sides of the monster, which has thus been killed. Who would ever have imagined that a little soft fish could have destroyed the great and savage shark?
— Charles Darwin on Shark (fish)
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I have heard from Dr. Allan of Forres, that he has frequently found a Didion, floating alive and distended, in the stomach of the shark; and that on several occasions he has known it eat its way, not only through the coats of the stomach, but through the sides of the monster, which has thus been killed. Who would ever have imagined that a little soft fish could have destroyed the great and savage shark?" in the context of "Charles Darwin, (1909), The Voyage of the Beagle, page: 24 (1st edition 1839; Didion antennatus is a synonym for Chilomycterus antennatus.)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Shark (fish)" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. He proposed that evolution could be explained in part through natural and sexual selection. Prompted by awareness that Alfred Russel Wallace was developing similar theories he published his own sooner than he had originally intended. This theory is now an integral component of biological science.
About Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. He proposed that evolution could be explained in part through natural and sexual selection. Prompted by awareness that Alfred Russel Wallace was developing similar theories he published his own sooner than he had originally intended. This theory is now an integral component of biological science.
View all quotes →