Merpeople

Turning a character into a merperson is an AU trope in both fanfic and fanart. 
Another scenario has a character meet a merperson. 
It can be done for humorous crack or for serious angst (i.e. based on the Hans Christian Andersen story). 
Like in the fairy tale, often only one character is a mermaid/merman, so different habitat and the fish-like lower body present compatibility challenges. 
==Variations==
Merpeople have different versions and representations. For example, in some AU they are depicted with human, semi-human, or shapeshifter forms. 
In these, AU can shift between their half-fish form and a fully human form (either voluntarily or involuntarily); in others, their aquatic features are permanent. 
Fusions with The Little Mermaid or other mermaid canons are a variation of Merpeople AUs.
Many mer-characters have designs inspired by specific types of fish, such as clownfish, deep-sea anglerfish, or sharks. Others are not part-fish at all, with their lower halves being those of cetaceans or sea jellies. "Cecaelia" is a neologism describing merpeople with octopus-like tentacles.
==Fan Activity==
===Challenges===
MerMay is a merfolk-themed challenge held each year in May, which leads to the creation of many mermaid AU fanworks, including art, fics, and gifsets.
===Cosplay===
In cosplay, fans may cosplay canon mermaids or (less often) cosplay non-mermaid characters as mermaids.
===Conventions===
Mermaid-focused conventions exist, such as MerMagic Con.https://aquamermaid.com/blogs/news/mermaid-convention
== Example Fanworks ==
===Fanfiction Examples===
The Professionals
*The Little Merman by Jane Mailander, a Professionals AU in Other Times and Places 4. Ray, a denizen of an underseas race related to dolphins finds himself longing for places above, among humans. Is he willing to pay the price? (1993)
X-Files
*A Fish Called Krycek by Sarah Bellum, an X-Files AU. Krycek is a merman and Mulder is a marine biologist who works for an aquarium. (1997)
Prince of Tennis
*Singer, Part 1, Part 2 by kishmet, a Prince of Tennis story loosely based on the Little Mermaid (mainly the Disney version), in which Ryoma is a merman. (2006)
Harry Potter
*Customs of the Land and the Sea by magpie_fngrl, a drarry Merman AU. Draco Malfoy comes to on a beach after a shipwreck to find out that the legends are true: merfolk exist and he's staring at one of them. (2018)
Stargate Atlantis
*Chansons de la Mer by Tardis80, an SGA Merman!Rodney fancomic
*Hidden Depths by lamardeuse, a SGA fic with John as an exiled merman. (2008)
*Through the Noise to the Sea by sardonicsmiley, a SGA fic with Rodney as a merman. (2008)
Star Trek
*Hang In There, Spocktopus(Archived Link) by lama_mama, Star Trek fanart
Hawaii Five-0
*Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by JoeLawson. A Hawaii Five-0 story where merpeople are known and Danny is a merman. (2011)
Free!
* Merpeople fanworks are popular in the Free! fandom because the show is about a swim team.
One Direction
*Purer Than The Water (like we were) by FeelsForBreakfast, a One Direction fic in which Louis is a merman and Harry is a boy. The lake is a good place to fall in love. (2014)
Marvel Cinematic Universe
* by STARSdidathing: Tony Stark is a merman prince who falls in love with the human princess Pepper Potts. When his father forces an unwanted betrothal upon him, Tony turns to Loki, a feared, dangerous sea-wizard and trickster, for help. Loki/Tony Stark (The Avengers Movieverse, 2018 - 2019)
RPF
*Fish Out of Water by jakerina534: Princess Lady Gaga meets Mermaid Rihanna. Femslash
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
*Fanart and AUs where Sayaka Miki is a mermaid are common in the fandom, due to the character's water motif and in-universe analogies to The Little Mermaid.
===Fan Art Examples===
File:Sol2back.jpg|alt=An monochromatic illustration of an animal with the top half of a unicorn and the bottom half of a fish.|A rare sighting of a sort of mer-corn, art for Sol III #2, by Signe Landon, 1974.
File:Other side 3 interior leslie fish 2.jpeg|Interior mermaid art from The Other Side of Paradise #3 (1978) by Leslie Fish. It is not for a merpeople AU -- Kirk with a mermaid alien, and part of a portfolio illustrating the interspecies mating in general.
File:Stardatelanders12-3.jpg|From Stardate #12 (1981), Spock by Rick Endres, also used as the cover of Orion Archives: 2272-2275 The Second Mission.
File:Choicesinside-22.jpg|Inside art from Choices (1986) artist is Gayle F.
File:Karmcon2-4.jpg|Inside Karmic Concurrence #2 (1994), Illya as a merman, Hindman is the artist.
File:Fox fish.jpg|Cover for A Fish Called Krycek by The Theban Band. 1990s.
File:Kingsofprophecy.jpg|Mermaid!Spock on a cover for Kings of Prophecy (1995) by Maggie Symon.
File:Companionsinchaos2-13.jpg|Eroica as a merman, from Companions in Chaos #2 (1995), artist is Sharon Young
File:Ofdreams12.jpg|Cover of Of Dreams and Schemes #12 (1997) by Leslie Spurlock.
File:MFU OtherTimes.jpg|Ilya by Rudas, Other Times, Other Affairs (1999).
 
File:Tumblr nd3ns5xDQi1r99meno1 500.png|Merman!Danny manip by deedo2313 for the Hawaii Five-0 story Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2014).
File:Deep Sea Noco 2 By dinosauris--rex.png|Deep Sea Noco 2 (2014) by dinosauris--rex. Cody/Noah fanart from the show Total Drama.
File:Merscout.png|The Little Merscout (2015) by Dywaso and Blackmoonrose13. Merscout is part of a larger Little Mermaid/Team Fortress 2 Fusion AU popular for fanworks along with Tentaspy.
File:Deep Sea by maXKennedy.jpg|Deep Sea by maXKennedy (2016). Merman!Sherlock of the BBC series rescuing knight!John.
File:Maymerd 2017 ny darosznha.jpg|Rey and Kylo Ren of Star Wars as merfolk. Art by darosƶinha for MerMay 2017.
File:Snanger Mermay by staypee.jpg|Hermione Granger and Severus Snape of Harry Potter as merfolk. Art by staypee for MerMay 2017.
File:Reylo Mermaids 4 by PandaCapuccino.jpg|Rey and Kylo of Star Wars as merpeople by PandaCapuccino (2018).
File:Reylo Mermaids 1 by PandaCapuccino.jpg|Human!Rey with merman!Kylo by PandaCapuccino (2018).
File:Fenris Mermay by AstoriaV.jpg|Fenris of Dragon Age as a merman. Art by AstoriaV for MerMay 2020.
File:Malenia Mermaid by Gwennaïg Vallon.jpg|Malenia of Elden Ring as a mermaid. Art by Gwennaïg Vallon for MerMay 2022. The character, a triple amputee, is depicted with prosthetic fins.
File:Our Flag Means Death - MerMay by MaXKennedy.jpg|Fanart by MaXKennedy of the OFMD ship Ed/Stede with Stede depicted as a merman. Made for MerMay 2022. 
==Links==
*Mermaid Problem on TV Tropes 
*Mer Tropes on TV Tropes
*Official Merfolk Ficathon
*Alternative Universe - Merpeople works on Ao3
*Alternative Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion works on Ao3
*Recs tagged Mythical Creatures: Mermaids at Fancake
*Mermaid Wiki
*MerNetwork forum for mermaid enthusiasts and hobbyists
==References==
Category:Fantasy Tropes
Category:Social Media Feature