198 



THE SHANNY. 



captured as he lies lurking in cunning recesses 

 beneath the stones and rocks, waiting for prey. 

 He is decidedly a fierce fish, and its admission 

 into an aquarium is a doubtful point, inasmuch 

 as he has been known to catch and devour the 

 two-spot goby. It is a larger fish than either 

 of those already mentioned, being about three 

 inches in length. 



Another very curious fish is found in much the 

 same locality as the gobies. This is the Shanny, 

 Tansy, or Smooth Blenny, as it is indifierently 

 named, one individual of a large family, whose 

 features are sufficiently remarkable for recogni- 

 tion. The scientific name of this fish is Blennius 

 phoUs, and a portrait of it is given on plate n, 

 fig 5. 



Any one who possesses an aquarium should 

 search after this creature, for it is quite as hardy, 

 if not more so, than the gobies themselves, and is 

 also a bold active fish, making itself very comfort- 

 able in its new home, and sparing no oppor- 

 tunity of procuring food, even snatching it from 

 the very jaws of less active fish. The colour of 

 this fish is variable, some specimens being beau- 

 tifully marked with green and yellow, while there 

 are some almost wholly black or brownish olive. 

 But in all varieties, it has one beauty that never 



