Mermaid Sub-Species

Let's be realistic here for a minute. If you live in Greenland,

have no way of travelling, do not intend on leaving your
homeland, and have no idea what warm waters look like, DON'T
FRIGGING CHOOSE TO BECOME A TROPICAL MERMAID!!! If you live in
Florida, don't be an idiot and become an arctic mermaid, please.
JUST BE WISE. Going on.

Arctic Mermaids

Arctic Mermaids are some of the most secluded for the obvious
reasons of them being in polar regions. Greenland up and the tip
of South America down is where most of them dwell, in partially-
underwater caves near icecaps. They normally have a diet of
strictly raw fish, due to the fact no plants can grow near them
because of the cold. Almost all of them have white or light
blonde hair and a thick layer of fat to go with their
transparent skin. It protects them from the cold. Their tails
are usually white with a medium fluke. They have sharp claws and
teeth for hunting, with a threat from their biggest opponents,
the polar bears, which mistake them for their normal prey. They
can also be known as Cold Water Mermaids. No countershading.

Deep Sea Mermaid

Deep Sea mermaids are the most vicious of the whole race,
cutting themselves off from others, going solo, and declining to
help anyone and anything (from what I've gathered). They have
eyes adjusted for the advanced darkness of being so deep
underwater no sunlight can reach them. They have large flukes
for long-distance and fast swimming, with dark shades of purple,
blue and black for their tails. They have thick insulated skin
 to withstand the freezing temperatures of the deep. Very few
mermaids have wandered into their territory and came out to tell
the tale. They say that some Deep Sea Mermaids don't have hair
and have replaced it with seaweed or tentacles from their prey.
This is NOT TRUE. Their diet consists mostly of raw fish and a
few different underwater plants. No one knows where Deep Sea
Mermaids prefer to dwell, but I would guess a cave or under an
outcropping for shelter from bigger fish.
If you wish to become a Deep Sea, you must have terrific hunting
skills and vision. No countershading.

Open Ocean Mermaid

There's no way to tell, but since there's so much coast and a

lot of mermaids lived there before they shifted, it is the
popular belief that there is the most Open-Ocean mermaids of all
the sub-species. They almost always travel and hunt in pods of
30-50, and their diet varies depending on their habitat. Most
open ocean mermaids live in the upper Atlantic in the summer,
where it's warm and there's a lot of fish and plants. Then for
the winter they migrate south, sometimes far enough to integrate
with tropical mermaids. They have large flukes for swimming very
far distances, and a long tail of blue, green, or light purple
to blend in. Their tails have countershading, where the backside
is darker so predators looking down won't see them, and lighter
fronts so predators looking up don't seem them. These mermaids
vary in personality, most are friendly but anxious and secretive
around humans. They have many Ancient languages. They are also
known as Traveler Mermaids because they migrate.

Freshwater Mermaids

These mermaids don't really have a special name like 'Open

Ocean' because it's pretty simple- they live in lakes, sometimes
also in ponds, streams, and rivers, but mostly lakes. They
mostly live in pods of 30-50, and there are rumors that
Freshwater mermaids have more complex society than saltwater
mermaids. They are also more friendly than most saltwaters. They
have a greenish tint to their skin to blend in with the mucky
water. These mermaids sometimes have large flukes, sometimes
they don't. It depends on which body of water they are dwelling
in- Lake Michigan mermaids have large flukes, but a mermaid that
is dwelling in a small lake in Kansas, small fluke. Almost every
mermaid has a green tail the shade of seaweed to blend in, but a
few have blue tails. Freshwater mermaids are the most sociable
and most likely to approach and befriend humans. Depending on
how murky or how clear the water is, they may or may not have
countershading. They have a mixed diet, and the choice to become
a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore.
 Sirens

Against popular belief, Sirens ARE NOT EVIL. Sure, there a few
who have turned bad, but every one of the sub-species has a few
of those too. A lot is confused about these creatures, so let me
explain: They originated in early Greek mythology, as personnel
of Persephone, and when she went missing, Demeter(Persephone's
Mother, the agriculture goddess) sent them to look for her by
calling to her with their beautiful voices. They were portrayed
as evil, which is what stuck up to present date. But they
aren't. I have a friend named Isabel who is trying to become a
Siren, and she's super nice. But anyway. Sirens are half human,
half bird. I don't know how they are included in this specific
marine family and not an avian one, but oh well. They don't have
tails, but they are very beautiful and have great singing
voices. They dwell on rocky islands and sea caves most of the
time, and are great swimmers. Most are helpful but also
secluded. Their diets- that depends on where they live. They
might have the chance to become a carnivore, herbivore, or
omnivore. Since they might not have tails yet still dwell in sea
caves, their voices are used as protection from prying eyes,
treacherous sailors, evil sirens and mermaids (there isn't very
many of them but still) and humans trying to take their land. If
you don't want to be half fish, I would recommend Siren. *Sirens
 are solitary. We have no evidence of them traveling in pods
because they do not travel.

Sirena Chilota

All you goodie-goodies and people who just feel the need to help
everyone you can, the Sirena Chilota is right for you. Most have
golden blonde hair and golden colored scales, making her human
side look like a very beautiful teenager. She was commissioned
by her deity, and she has the task of caring for all of the
fish. (You can guess that Sirenas are herbivores because of
their purpose and beliefs). Sometimes the Sirena's deity will
bless her so she will never be hunted by man or animal. She also
helps her siblings and/or friends to carry the bodies of drowned
sailors. She does this so they can be revived and is a very
happy mermaid. They have very large flukes and strong tails so
they can swim long distances while carrying victims of
tragedies. It is said that a Sirena Chilota's tears are very
 delicate and, if used in a spell, is very powerful. May have
countershading.

Merrows

Merrows are from Irish folklore, so the best shifting into

merrows will take place in that general area near Ireland, but
it will work normally and be successful anywhere. They are said
to have long green hair and a red cap. The red cap is what makes
them a mermaid. If they lose this cap, they are human until they
find it, and when they do, they will return to the sea,
sometimes leaving entire families behind. There isn't a specific
culture or stereotype for merrows, because they are so
widespread and have a lot of options in a lot of categories.
They could choose to be in a pod or solitary, where they want to
live, what tail color (reasonably) they want, what their diet
will be, the choices are almost endless. A lot of the merrows do
stay near Europe, though. May have countershading.
 Aicaya

The Aicaya are a special kind of mermaid who live in

the Caribbean. It's unknown how the first one of them came to
be, but the Aicaya are young men and women who are disowned by
their native communities and went to live by the sea. Aicaya
will seek out these individuals and turn them in one of their
own so they won't have to feel rejected or alone again. The
amazing and unique thing about the Aicaya is that they are all
different but all accepted, so they aren't all the exact same.

Tropical Mermaids

Ah, yes. Tropical mermaids. Most of you will originally want to

be tropicals, because people say they have the most fun. That is
not true. They are just the most fun-loving and easy-going, as a
whole, out of them all. They have smaller flukes because they
 don't travel a lot and mostly stay in one place. Since they
spend a lot of time near or living by coral reefs and brightly-
colored plants, their tails are more brightly-colored than
others. Usually a red, pink, orange, or blue tail. They don't
have the layer of fat some other mermaids do because they live
tropical waters will it stays mostly warm all year. They are
friendly but tend to stay away from humans. They always travel
in pods. A few close themselves off, but most can't stand to be
alone and have really bubbly personalities. They are usually
found a little off the coast in places like Florida and
California- somewhere warm.

Cecealia

Cecealia, I'm not going to lie, in fact i will be very blunt,

are basically Ursula. They have the tentacles of an octopus or a
squid instead of a tail. They usually live in swamps, but some
live in the ocean. They make weapons and are NOT friendly. It is
extremely rare to find a male Cecealia. They are solitary,
basically one per body of water, (except oceans), and dislike
both the mermaid race and the others in their race. They are
very hostile towards humans for taking their land. Cecealia are
deadly in a fight- their tentacles are good for strangling, they
are fast as a bullet, I believe possess the inking ability,
suction from tentacles, and great at defending their land. They
have a diet mainly of fish, but sometimes they eat plants or
semi-aquatics like ducks.
 Mermaid Tail Examples

This tail I would recommend for an open ocean/traveler mermaid.

It's blue with countershading for diving deeper underwater, and
a large fluke for long distance swimming.

I personally like this one. It's suited for a tropical mermaid

mostly, but if you're willing to risk it, I guess it would work
for Open Ocean too. It has the extra fin down the middle, with
coral colors to help a tropical mermaid camouflage. The only
downside about this picture is that it also features a bikini
top, which isn't something you'll get when you shift. Otherwise,
it has a large fluke, which is good for Open Ocean mermaids.
The colors of this tail clearly only let it be for one category-
DEEP SEA! Just kidding, tropical. It has countershading and a
camouflage-pro color to evade predators, and it, um, looks
pretty? This would be a good choice if you don't plan on
travelling and are planning on becoming a tropical mermaid.

Also a tropical mermaid tail, if you want to stand out a little,

pick orange, because although you will blend into reefs still,
most of your pod will have either a pink, purple or blue tail.

This type of tail would work best for a Siren or an Open-Ocean

mermaid. Big fluke, countershading, blends in.
 Although displayed in shallow water, it is a deep blue, so I
would say Deep Sea mermaid. It has a big fluke for long distance
swimming and catching pray.

This is what I would call the perfect Arctic Mermaid Tail. It's
white and has a large fluke.

This one is a simple blue and goes with a lot of the options.
It's fluke is a medium-ish size.
This is what a Sirena Chilota's tail should look like. It has a
large fluke, it's golden (maybe a little orange) to match the
hair, and has countershading.

*When you shift, it will not include a bra/bikini like in the

picture.* Otherwise, what a freshwater mermaid realistically
should have. It's greenish blueish to match the murky water or
clear water, because it matches both. Large fluke for swimming
large distances.
 Mermaid Anatomy

What's the point in shifting if you're going to be useless???

You need to know the functions of a mermaid and what to model
your mermaid self after, because what's the point in having a
tail unless you know how to survive under the water???
 Human Parts

epicranius- The center of the brain where thoughts start

pectoralis maj.- a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the

chest (anterior) of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest
muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female.

deltoid- a deltiod muscle

biceps brachii- a muscle having two points of attachment at one

end, in particular. The large muscle in the upper arm that turns
the hand to face palm uppermost and flexes the arm and forearm.

rectus femoris- The rectus femoris is the only muscle that can
flex the hip. Injury to the rectus femoris muscle may be
attributed to muscle overuse in kicking or sprinting.
Inflammation of the muscle causes pain in the groin during
physical exercises that use this muscle.

trapezius- either of a pair of large triangular muscles

extending over the back of the neck and shoulders and moving the
head and shoulder blade.

triceps brachii- any of several muscles having three points of

attachment at one end, particularly also triceps brachii
ˈbrākēˈī-kēˈē the large muscle at the back of the upper arm.

gluteus maximus- any of three muscles in each buttock that move

the thigh, the largest of which is the gluteus maximus.

gastrocnemius- the chief muscle of the calf of the leg, which

flexes the knee and foot. It runs to the Achilles tendon from
two heads attached to the femur.

Merfolks Parts

Hair:

Made popular by "Mermaids: The Body Found" (Animal Planet) it is

now believed that mermaids don't have hair. This is not true.
Mermaids do have hair, and it actually serves many functions for
the mer.
 Hair is like the aquatic form of whiskers, it serves a purpose
of spacial detection, and balance while swimming. It is said
that if a mermaid's hair is cut shorter than 4 inches, they
become virtually handicapped.

Also, mermaids with babies cannot hold onto their babies while
swimming, that would leave for some very funny looking mermaid
swimming, so the babies cling to their mothers hair while she
swims.

Gills and Lungs:

Mermaids do have gills. One set rests behind the ears, and one
set is inside of the nose. The ones located behind the ears are
used for regulating pressure on the eardrums in deep water and
similar situations. The ones situated at the nose filter oxygen
so you may breathe.

Mermaids, along with their gills, also have very large lungs,
similar to a dolphins'. They have a wider ribcage, but be
slimmer. Their lungs have more canals so that they won't
collapse under pressure. Like a dolphin, they would be able to
suck up large quantities at a time, and be able to hold their
breath for up to 15 minutes. If you plan on being a mermaid who
won't dive deep into the ocean, this would be an ideal for you.
 Reproductive System:

Mermen: Similar to the dolphin, the penis is internal. It

emerges from a slit in the tail when aroused, and this is the
reason why you won't see little penises hanging around.

Mermaids: The vagina, much like the penis and the rectal
opening, is covered by large, flexible scales that are connected
to your tail. This prevents water from flowing inside and
causing infection. The flexible scales can be moved out of the
way during sex, and the penis is inserted through a little slit.
The womb is located in the same place as a humans'.
 Hands:

Most mermaids tend to have webbed fingers because it improves

swimming. some mermaids also have pointed or hardened
fingernails to improve hunting.

Ears:

this last one is a little complicated. Do you know what an elf's

ears look like? Mermaids sort of have that, but more like a
'Marine Elf Ear,' which is an ear that is webbed out similarly
to a fin on a tail. this improves aerodynamics in the water.
They are mobile and able to move around for better use.