SHANNY. 
215 
Midway between the eyes, the forehead, the breadth of 
which is 14 % of the length of the head in young speci- 
mens and 16 % in old, is somewhat concave; and be- 
hind the eyes, on the top of the head and the occiput, 
we find a longitudinal dermal ridge", which is gene- 
rally only slightly marked. The anterior nostril is 
situated about twice as near to the eye as to the tip 
of the snout, and on a level with the lower margin of 
the eye: its margin is only slightly raised, but grows 
posteriorly into from 4 to 7 dermal filaments. The 
posterior nostril is a little round or oblong opening, 
nearer the eye and about level with the upper margin 
of the pupil. The branchiostegal membrane extends 
back, in a small flap, to a point just above the upper 
corner of the axil; and underneath it is continuous 
from one side of the body to the other, but so thoroughly 
united to the isthmus that the breadth of the free dermal 
fold in the middle is only about half the diameter of 
the eye. 
The dorsal fin is distinctly divided into an anterior 
part, which is short, and consists of simple and un- 
articulated rays, and a posterior, the rays of which are 
also simple, but articulated. Its length is about 61 or 
62 % of that of the body, and its height from 10 to 
12 % of the latter. All the rays, except the 12th from 
the beginning, which is the smallest, and also the last 
of the unarticulated rays, project, to some extent at 
least, above the fin-membrane, the first three or four 
most of all. The anterior part, which corresponds to 
the spinous-rayed part in other cases, is as high as, 
or slightly lower than, the posterior; and its length is 
about 78 % of that of the latter. The anal fin is lower 
than the posterior part of the dorsal fin (its height is 
about 9 1 / 2 % of the length of the body), but in length 
and structure it corresponds to the latter. The distance 
from the tip of the snout to the beginning of the anal 
fin is 47 or 48 % of the length of the body. In one 
of the males we have examined, we found at the be- 
ginning of the anal fin a vesiculate dermal swelling, 
united to the first ray of the fin and representing the 
anal papilla. The caudal fin is rounded, and its length 
measures 7 or 8 % of that of the body. The pectoral 
fins are also round: their length is less than that of 
the abdominal cavity, being only about 1 / 5 of the length 
of the body. A little in front of these fins we find the 
singularly-formed ventral fins, the length of which is 
almost half that of the head, and about half (more or 
less) the distance between them and the beginning of 
the anal fin. The rays are gathered into two bunches, 
each with a separate dermal covering, which extends 
about half-way along the fin. The outer (anterior) 
bunch contains the short spinous ray, the length of 
which is about a third of that of the second ray, to- 
gether with the latter ray, which is simple and arti- 
culated; the other bunch contains the two remaining 
rays, which are also simple and articulated. Each 
ventral fin has thus the appearance of two fingers, the 
inner one being the longer, owing to the circumstance 
that the middle soft ray is the longest in the fin. 
On the naked, slimy body the lateral line at first 
bends slightly upwards towards the back, but soon 
sinks again in a curve which ends above the beginning 
of the anal fin: from this point it advances in a straight 
line almost along the middle of the sides of the tail. 
It contains about 45 pores, the hindmost of which are, 
however, not very distinct. Rows of small pores be- 
neath the eyes and out on the snout, as well as at the 
bottom of the cheeks and forward on the lower side 
of the under-jaw, mark the extension of the system of 
the lateral line on the head. 
The colouring of the Shanny is so variable that 
one can scarcely find two individuals exactly alike in 
this respect. The colours are most diversified and 
brightest in young specimens, one of which is thus de- 
scribed by Lilljeboeg. “Upper part of the body dark 
green, marbled with a somewhat darker tint and with 
yellowish spots along the upper and lower parts of the 
sides. Dorsal and pectoral fins with dark stripes on 
a lighter, greenish ground. Caudal fin with broad, 
yellowish and dark greenish transverse bands. The anal 
fin, the rays of which are tipped with white, is next 
marked with a blackish, longitudinal stripe, and yellowish 
at the base. Ventral side and fins yellowish. Lower 
side of the head yellowish, clouded with darker colour. 
In a specimen 93 mm. in length, which has been pre- 
served in spirits for ten years or so, we still find di- 
stinct traces of five large spots, edged with white, 
which in live specimens extend half-way up the dorsal 
fin, the upper part of which is marked with a network 
of smaller quadrilateral spots. Below the lateral line 
we also find large dark spots, divided at the bottom. 
The anal fin still retains its dark marginal band, with 
“Der Nacken bei Mannehen sehr fleischig,” Steindachner. 
Presumably a sexual distinction, peculiar to the males. 
