Maidfish

*This article refers to the world of Tikena. For the species of Tolakan, see Maidfish (Tolakan)*

## Information

### Group

"Herd"

The genus Sirena is a group of closely related salamanders belonging to the family Ambystomatidae. Members of the genus are technically called Sirenians, but they are also commonly refered to as maidfish in reference to their most populous member. There are two living species of Sirenians, both descendant of the archaic species *Sirena Sapiens*, and therefor native to the North American Great Lakes. These are the Maidfish (*Sirena Agricola*) and the Mermaid (*Sirena Bellator*).

## Genetics

Maidfish are amphibians within the family Ambystomatidae, related by common ancestry to the species Ambystoma Mexicanum. As such, maidfish do not possess any hair or fur, and the filliments in their head are in fact highly modified gill filliments from their Axolotl ancestors. Neither sirenian has good hearing, relying on their heightened sight and smell as senses. There are several genetically varied subspecies of maidfish, known as shers.

Sexual Dimorphism in Maidfish is very limited. Females usually have larger tails and smaller secondary ear lobes, but beyond that there is very little difference between the sexes.

## Society

Maidfish coexist with humans in groups known as Anthroambystomic Sociteties. These are cooperative settlements of the two species that have existed for millenia, and have likely influenced the evolutionary path of both species. There are, in 2023, 4.2 billion maidfish in Tikena, roughly equivalent to the human population.

## Land Adaptation

Maidfish are excellent swimmers for a terrestrial species. Despite losing 2/3 of their gills, they still posess a receded gill from their ancestors, located behind their ear lobes, which they can use to breathe underwater for two days without needing air. Mermaids have much larger gills and can breathe underwater for weeks. Although maidfish live almost exclusively in anthroambystomic societies, mermaids mostly live as predators in the shallow ocean, having similar observed behaviour to Orca whales, ilbeit signifficantly more intelligent.

## Shers

It is important to remember that maidfish shers are determined mostly by size and genetics, not by color. Maidfish have a unique genetic disposition to change skin pigmentation, and as such there are hundreds of different colors and patterns displayed by any given sher.

### Nopkoi

The closest sher to the original Sirena Agricola of the Greak Lakes. Nopkoi are found all over the world, and are the most common sher of maidfish by a large margin. They mostly prosper in beachy lakes and rivers, giving them their alternative name "Beach Maidfish".

On average, a Nopkoi grows to 110cm tall. They are also the most diverse sher in terms of color, and tend to be extremely vibrant when compared to their Antheian and Ketian counterparts.

### Antheians

Filling a niche simmilar to crocodiles in the wetlands of Northern Europe, the Antheians became the largest freshwater Sirenian. Growing up to 140cm, they became the apex predators of the swamps. The last sher to form congresses with humans were likely Antheians, who saw the new predators as competitors in their home turf.

It is yet unknown why they eventually joined humans anyway, but today they are common in Ireland, northern Scotland, and parts of Scandinavia.

### Ketians

The smallest sher of common maidfish were almost surely the first to join forces with humans. They're the second most common sher, found all across Europe and Asia, and even in South America. A Ketian population once existed in North America, but they seemingly disappeared around the 12th century BCE.

Ketians are swamp and forest dwellers, in the wild making homes in rivers where predators can't reach them, and lived almost wholly of off agriculture before humans came.

### Bloody Salamanders

Arguably its own species akin to the Mermaid, the Pale Maidfish or Bloody Salamander is both the rarest and smallest sher, even moreso than Ketians. These creatures live exclusively in Lake Texcoco, and look very similar to their Axolotl ancestors.

They're almost blind and do not generally form congresses with humans. There have been cases of bloody salamanders entering broader society, but as a whole, they prefer to be left alone.