208 THE BLENNY FAMILY. 



Very young examples of the shanny are still desiderata. 



Older stages are caught abundantly in the rock-pools in 

 August and September and range from 17 to 25 mm. in the 

 latter month. At 23 mm. (on the 24th August) the little fish is 

 studded all over with black pigment on a greenish grey ground. 

 Larger chromatophores occur along each side of the dorsal fin, 

 and a few on the mid-lateral line, and along the ventral edge. 

 Symmetrical areas of minute specks appear on the sides of the 

 jaw and near the tip on the under surface, otherwise the 

 abdomen is pale ventrally. The pigment on the sides has a 

 tendency to be grouped in bars as in the wolf-fish, a condition 

 also partially apparent at 17 mm. Four of these are very 

 distinct. A few isolated glandular pits over the pectoral fin 

 indicate the lateral line. 



In regard to the outline of the dorsal fins the shanny at this 

 stage rather resembles Yarrell's blenny than the adult, since 

 the division between the anterior and posterior is marked by 

 a deep and broad V, and the dorsal margin is boldly arched. 

 The first region has many minute pigment-specks on the rays, 

 and anteriorly a few on the fin-membrane. The posterior 

 division has only a few specks on the anterior rays. The 

 first part of the dorsal 1 has 12 rays; the second 19. The 

 breast-fins are very large fan-shaped organs and three of the 

 anterior rays have thickened terminations. There are 13 rays 

 in all. At 17 mm. the pectoral fins are still larger, being about 

 a third the total length of the fish, and remarkably speckled 

 with black pigment, chiefly on the interradial membrane. The 

 pigment disappears before the fish reaches 25 mm. The pelvic 

 fins have two long and powerful rays curved outwards and 

 upwards and forming efficient organs for aiding progression 

 on land, while a third ray occurs behind the second, but whether 

 it is a process of the former or a distinct ray was not made out. 

 These fins at 17 mm. show three rays and traces of a fourth at 

 the outer border. They are also slightly speckled with pigment. 

 In the south, as at Naples, this length is reached in June, 

 the speckled pectorals and the dorsal bars of pigment being 

 well-marked. The anal has 21 rays, the first two being smaller 

 1 This is a term of convenience, as the fin-membrane is continuous. 



