Mermaid

Mermaid
Koi Mermaid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fābula
Division:	Assecula
Class:	Foemina
Family:	Aquae
Genus:	Amnēs
Species:	A. Pulchrae
Binomial name
Amnēs Pulchrae A. Cambri and B. Devon

The Mermaid is one of the most famous and common of the Fābulae. Despite being adapted for a fully Aquatic lifestyle, mermaids are capable of surviving on land, albeit most mermaids do so in a fairly awkward manner, being forced to flop, roll, or crawl in most cases in order to move around.

Mermaids are primarily native to the Aquitaan and Magnumare seas, but the more adventurous variants have swum all over the world. Most, if not all, mermaids are loyal to the Drakon monarchs of Aquitinia, though few do much to act on these loyalties.

Mermaids come in a number of varieties. The most internationally well known forms are the shark forms, with the most common of these being the black and white tipped mermaids, though tiger sharks are also quite common. In freshwater environments catfish, sturgeon, and koi are the most famous forms of mermaids, though many other mermaids variants exist.

Mermaids are sometimes mistaken as obligate carnivores, but are known to be capable of consuming grains. However, most mermaids subsist almost entirely or only on meat. Their near immunity to diseases and poison allows them to easily consume creatures such as jellyfish, while also being able to hide among large quantities of jellyfish if something threatens them. Unfortunately for Sea Turtles, mermaids both outcompete them for much of the same food and actively will consume them, the advanced hands of the mermaids allowing them to easily manipulate the turtles to negate the defensive advantage of those animals.

Etymology

Mermaids derive their name from their appearance. “Mer-” derives from the word “Mere”, which refers to large bodies of water. The second part of their names, “-maid” is simpler, simply coming from the fact that all mermaids are female. They received their names from sapient landlubbers, who were amazed when they first saw the aquatic people.

History

Prehistory

The oldest records of mermaids date back to the Cambrian period, though these are very rare. Mermaid remains only became common during the Devonian period, during which they were obviously very abundant. However, little more than this can be said about Devonian era mermaids, as there is not sufficient evidence to say whether or not they were truly dominant at the time or simply common. Most arguments that claim mermaids to have been a dominant species in those periods revolve around their relative lack of competition, but many reject these arguments as being too speculative, since it is possible that the remains of their competitors have simply never been discovered. The mermaids, for their part, do not care about the debate.

One mystery is how the mermaids had reproduced, as none of the species that the parasitically reproducing species usually pairs with, such as humans and centaurs, are known to have existed at the time. So far no partner species has been discovered from the Cambrian or Devonian periods, leaving scores of scientists puzzled.

Ancient

In ancient times mermaids could be incredible nuisances. While some could be threatening in rivers, most fresh water mermaids couldn’t cause much more harm than occasionally bringing down someone gathering water, making them no more dangerous than wild beasts. However, their saltwater sisters were much more troublesome. Besides their physical advantages, these mermaids also would often sabotage shipping, which was made especially easy because of the wooden nature of most ancient ships. This was primarily done to plunder the cargo and crew of the ship. Captains often had to employ many measures to stave mermaids off, such as using other mermaids, keeping guard over the sides of the ship, or even deploying monsters, such as Hydras. Hydras, of course, were inconvenient to use, but even applying their noxious scent over the ship was often enough to keep mermaids well away, as hydras consume them.

Small freshwater mermaids are known to have been kept as pets on some occasions, with Koi mermaids being famous for their status as glamorous pets. However, keeping mermaids as pets was less common in ancient times than in modern days, especially when it came to the more bland looking mermaids, such as minnows.

Modern Living

In modern times the metal hulls of ships have mostly made the threat of mermaids a nonissue, at least for commercial and military vessels. Additionally, improved technology, such as harpoon-guns, has made combating them far easier, thus deterring them. Mermaids still try to snatch sailors, but generally have to catch them off guard, rather than plundering them from vessels.

Freshwater mermaids are also more common as pets in modern times, owed largely to the fact that containers for them are far easier and cheaper to make. Minnows have become even more common pets than Koi, mostly due to their abundance, whereas the koi are much rarer. It is a common sight for well-to-do Aquitinian homes to have at least one mermaid tank, often with more than one mermaid. Of course, just like in ancient times, these mermaids are almost exclusively those small enough to be comfortably held in a person’s hand.

Biology

Physiology

(WIP)

Reproduction and Maturation

Mermaids are one of several Aquitinian species that follow a parasitical reproductive style. Being an entirely female species, mermaids lack any ability to reproduce without other species. Mermaids require males from other species, such as humans, centaurs, and boreads, in order to reproduce. When they do manage to reproduce, mermaids do not cause hybrid species to be born. Rather, all female offspring come out as mermaids, of the same variant that their mother is, while all male offspring come out as the species of their father.

When it comes to actually producing young, mermaids are ovoviviparous. This means that, while mermaids do create eggs, these eggs hatch within the mother, causing mermaids to appear as if they are viviparous. Mermaids generally form up to ten young, with one to three being the most common number, though the number of young given birth per pregnancy generally depends on the mermaid variant. The young of mermaids usually take around a year to fully form and hatch within the mother before being born. Since the male young of their partner’s species usually cannot survive without air, many mermaids crawl onto beaches in order to give birth.

When the mermaid’s young comes out, there are two possible paths. If the child is male, it grows up at the same rate as it would have within its own species. Besides the odd birth situation, such as being hatched ovoviviparously, no known notable changes occur within the biology of these sons. If the child is female, they are mermaids that receive little more from than fathers, except in some cases superficial appearance traits, such as eye and hair color. Notably, skin color does not seem communicative across the species boundary, likely due to the odd body shape of the mermaid.

Mermaids tend to grow to around two-thirds the size of an adult within a decade. However, most mermaids do not reach sexual maturity until they are around twenty years old, though this varies by species, with koi and minnow mermaids maturing far earlier than whale shark mermaids.

Consumption

The vast majority of a mermaid’s diet consists of flesh from a vast number of sources that can range from squids and jellyfish to birds and mammals. While technically omnivorous, many mermaids live nearly entirely carnivorous lifestyles. This is because mermaids can only consume a limited amount of non-animal originating foods, such as grains. They are incapable of processing fruits or leaves, with the latter being more relevant as it means that mermaids cannot consume seaweed. Their teeth are also sharp, making them poorly adapted for eating plants. How mermaids get their food depends greatly on the variant, but the common shark mermaids tend to sneak up close to their intended prey before rushing upon them, grappling them, and then dispatching them.