Become a mermaid 🧜‍♀️

Mermaid Sub-Species/mermaid types

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 Mermaids
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 Mermaids
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.