A reference sheet for Sahyris, my feral merfolk character, by  taklayyankovic

I don't usually upload art in cases where the artist posts it to their own gallery, much ref sheets are a rather important exception.

Don't fave this submission! Fave the original here and show Tay some love: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10296169/ - Tay has drawn Sahyris more times than any other artist to date, and she's played a really important role in the evolution of the character since I created him 8 years ago.

Sahyris (who i've tentatively given the surname Piscari) - pronounced /sɑrˈrɪs pɪskɑri/ - is a complex and often misunderstood character; not only by his nature but also by his species. The most elegant description for what he is would be a "feral merman" (a term first used by ageaus). Other terms would include anthro fish, mer-creature or even fish monster. While his form may lack a unified designation, its features are clear:

- His overall appearance combines the traits of a large pelagic fish species with those of merfolk. He has the familiar "mermaid tail" with a broad horizontal fin, with a humanoid upper body and a very fishy-looking face.
- His body is covered in large cycloid fish scales, with a subtle slimy coating.
- Fins adorn most of his features, most notably running down his spine and the sides of his tail. Each is a row of webbed spines (which start out fleshy and come to a more rigid, sharp point at the tip). They may or may not be venomous. The webbing is lightweight, translucent and tattered in a few places.
- He has less of a muzzle and more of a fishy 'snout' that starts above eye-level. His eyes are big, vacant and unblinking, but allude to an intelligence deeper within. He respires through gills running down his neck. He possesses the ability to pump blood into his gills, causing them to flare out and attain a greater surface area; something which allows him to exist out of water for a short length of time.
- He is most definitely carnivorous. In his natural habitat, he preys on smaller fish and other sea creatures.
- His hands are primarily a source of propulsion through the water, and as such are a little unwieldy for any other purpose. He has a crude level of manual dexterity.

As a secondary fursona, Sahyris represents the darker side of my personality. He balances the bouncy, social, fun-loving inflatable dolphin for the times in my life when i'm feeling grumpy, bitter, solitary and sadistic. While Cyrin always aspires to be a better pool toy, Sahyris has no motivation or incentive to better himself, instead preferring to remain antisocial, alone and (in the eyes of some) repulsive.

Sahyris doesn't have any particular back-story, but I have given some thought to how he fits into his own universe; his species is solitary and sparse - in fact, he may have never seen another of his kind before. His habitat is the open ocean, so he would be unfamiliar with most terrestrial creatures. The spelling of his name reflects how I imagine a fish person would talk; raspy, snake-like and slightly strained.

Sexually, Sahyris resembles a male fish. A pair of anal fins skirt his cloaca, whose function is to fertilise the eggs of a female, not to participate in intercourse. When he is associated with anything kinky, it's almost always related to transformation or devolution.

Occasionally, you may see Sahyris in an alternate form with legs instead of (or in addition to) a tail - i'm still trying to decide how this fits into the overall concept of the character. There is no reference for this alternate form as of yet.

Anyway, there you have it. I am very happy to finally have a definitive reference sheet for Sahyris, and I hope you enjoy it :)