What is StarLight Magazine?
StarLight Magazine is a free online Christian magazine for children aged 5–10 years old. Their stated mission is: Shining God’s Truth through Children’s Literature.
Submission Guidelines
Currently, StarLight magazine is a non-paying market. They are looking for submissions in these categories: Fiction, Artwork, Poetry, Creature Feature, and The Heavens Declare (a star, constellation, etc.). The style guide is on their submissions page. They require exclusive rights to both electronic and print for 12 months after publication.
Submission page link here.
What is a Creature Feature?
A creature feature is a way to help children marvel at God’s creativity in the animal kingdom and gain a greater appreciation for His design in nature.
Guidelines for a Creature Feature
As per StarLight Magazine’s submission page:
- Write a 200-word informative piece about an unusual animal or surprising traits of a familiar animal.
- Present information in a concise, engaging, and easy-to-read bullet-point format.
- Write from a Creationist perspective, highlighting how God’s design is evident in the animal’s unique features.
- Include fascinating details such as special adaptations, behaviors, or abilities.
- Use scientific accuracy while maintaining a faith-centered viewpoint.
- If using sources, provide a short reference list for verification.
The themes for 2026 are also listed on the submission page.
Why Did I Want to Write a Creature Feature?
I am a biologist and love learning about the natural world. The variety of life on our planet never ceases to amaze me. Now, more than ever, we need to be sharing the natural world with children. I grew up camping, hiking, and exploring national parks.
Many kids these days are exploring the world through their screens. I have a passion for bringing the excitement of exploring the natural world to children. StarLight Magazine is visually appealing for children and has Biblical principles.
The most difficult part of creating a creature feature story to submit to StarLight Magazine was to decide which creature to write about!
My Creature Feature
The Rock-Climbing Fish
The waterfall-climbing goby was my choice for my first story. It climbs more than 300 feet to ascend to a pool for egg laying. Who would have thought a fish could climb straight up a waterfall? Fish are designed for swimming, not climbing.
These fish have a special pectoral sucker that allows them to attach to the rocks. When it is time to climb the waterfall to get to the pool above, these fish show a dramatic change. Within two days, their mouth descends from the tip of the head to the chin and transforms into another sucker.
The goby climbs the waterfall by alternating attachment to the rocks via its pectoral and mouth sucker and inching its way up. All the while, water is cascading down on them. This altered mouth structure allows it to scrape algae off of rocks, providing energy for this journey.
Female gobies attach their eggs to rocks. Once the fertilized eggs hatch, the larvae are washed down the waterfall and spend six months of their life in the sea. Juvenile goby fish return to streams or upstream pools where they live for several years.
They don’t return to the same stream to spawn. It is estimated that at least 90% of them do not succeed in making the climb. In addition, some don’t make it to the ocean or die there before returning.
Why climb the waterfall to spawn?
Their main predator is the Sandwich Island sleeper, which cannot climb waterfalls. So, although the goby may have to swim through its territory, climbing the waterfall brings safety.
Also, there are different species of gobies, and each has a different ability to climb the waterfalls. Being able to climb higher will decrease competition between species and increase survival for all species.
Publication in StarLight Magazine
The Rock-Climbing Fish was published as the Creature Feature in the April 2026 issue of StarLight Magazine. I provided information about the goby fish, and the illustrator handled the images, which are colorful and fun!
Check Out StarLight Magazine!
StarLight is a free Christian magazine for children aged 5 to 10 years old. Check out the magazine and article here. You may be required to give your email address, but there is no charge to read the magazine.
Bibliography
Determined Fish Climb Waterfalls With Special Sucker Mouths
Bing Videos — Islands of Wonder | The Gobies’ Ascent to Safety | Episode 3 | Hawaii | PBS
https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/fishkeeping-news/the-amazing-rock-climbing-gobies/
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/files/2019/03/SWAP-2015-sicyopterus-oopu-nopili-Final.pdf
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/files/2014/04/Nopili.pdf
Visiting Hawaii’s Waterfalls May Give You A Glimpse Of A Fish Doing The Impossible
ScienceShot: Meet the Amazing, Waterfall-Climbing Fish | Science | AAAS
