Mermaids (The Deep)

Mermaids are a species that are half animal and half fish. Females are referred to as mermaids, while males are referred to as mermen.
They are featured most heavily in The Deep and The Deep: Legends of the Sea.
==Background/Physiology==
The Mermaids were once anthropomorphic animals living in the kingdom of Atlantis with advented science and magic. One day, a prophetic foretold of an earthquake sinking the city into the sea. In advance, the scientists and magicians create an spell that can last an eternity: the ability to become part-fish. When the earthquake occurred and the city snaked to the sea, the spell is activated. Some of the Mermaids braches off to other sunken cites that over the years.
A mermaid's tail is also very strong, this is shown when Nick uses his tail to break some ice. Mermaid also lose their clothes they're wearing in animal form which only reappear when they become animal again.
The transformation from tail to legs occurs on land and water. In animal from, gills remain on neck in case of drowning.
When giving birth, the female briefly loses her tail and changes into legs to give birth.
Mermaids don't mind the surface and if surface dwellers find them, but they still preferred to keep secret to avoid too much attention (hunters, scientists, annoying tourists) and only reveal their true form to those that is trusted.
All mermaids cities and kingdoms have royal guards protecting a royal family, though there are some guards that act as lifeguards, which serves as guards while also bringing oxygen to Gill-less Mermaids in case they're too far to get some.
The natural speech patterns of mermaids is much like the “Tower of Babel language”, the “root dialect” from which all languages descended and even possesses a unlimited ability to read and speak any language.
There are also mystical waters in certain areas of all of the underwater kingdoms that can turns a surface dweller into a Mermaid permanently.
==Appearance==
Mermaids possess the traits of both animals and fish: their upper body is generally depicted as animal, while a fish tail replaces the lower body. Mermaids have gills in order to live underwater. Mermen generally appear bare-chested and females wear a seashell bra of some fashion, but there are some mermaids that wear clothes. When their tail change into legs without any clothes, males wears an swim trunk and the females wears an swim skirt.
==Subspecies==
*Gill-less Mermaids - Mermaids without gills, which is a gene error that can happen to any child before birth. Because of this, they can stay submerged for long periods of time but they still need to breathe air. Gill-less Mermaids can hold their breath for at least 12 hours before needing to resurface but with more practice some can stay under for much longer. When Gill-less mermaids remain breathless, they do not die, unlike animals. They "sleep" underwater, and just awaken when they breathe air again. Once every few hours, they'll briefly wake up to get air in 5 minutes or they'll enter sleep again. Mermaids can hold their breath both in mer-form and in land form. There are places, homes and caves that are full of air and air reservoirs scattered in designated areas around the undersea cities.
*Selkies - Mermaids that can turn into seals due to having seal DNA. They can also turn their tails into that of a seal.
==Powers and Abilities==
*Enhanced Strength - Allows the mermaids to lift objects with ease that no animal being could be able to lift.
*Enhanced Senses - All mermaids are able to touch, taste, smell and hear better than any normal animal. They can also heard things surface dwellers can't.
*Mermaid/Animal Transformation - A mermaid is able to grow legs on land and on water whenever they want. Mermaids absorb anything that hinders the transformation like trousers, socks and shoes. They reappear when their tails become legs.
*Underwater Breathing - Since mermaids are part fish and have gills, they are able to breathe underwater, allowing them to live in oceans without even needing to come to the surface. Mermaids can speak underwater. It is also stated that there are some mermaids that don't have gills, so they still need to breathe air. Gill-less Mermaids can hold their breath for at least 12 hours before needing to resurface but with more practice some can stay under for much longer. When Gill-less mermaids remain breathless, they do not die, unlike animals. They "sleep" underwater, and just awaken when they breathe air again. Once every few hours, they'll briefly wake up to get air in 5 minutes or they'll enter sleep again. Mermaids can hold their breath both in mer-form and in land form.
*Durability - Mermaids can swim for days without fatigue. Mermaids are also able to swim at 600 km per hour for long periods of time, something which no animal has the endurance to do.
*Aquatic Adaptation - Mermaids can adapt and swim in both fresh and saltwater and resistant to cold or hot temperature.
*Magic - Mermaids can do magic.
*Telepathy - Telepathy is the ability to communicate without the use of any known human senses. With this power, one can contact another person mentally, without fear that someone overhearing the conversation. This is how Gill-less Mermaids communicate underwater.
==Know Mermaids==
*Judy Aquarius
*Nick Wilde
Category:Fan Fiction
Category:Species