Mermay 2018 merfolk designs

Concept: Shark
Species: Alopia Vulpinus
Common name: Thresher shark, fox shark

The thresher mermaid has weak jaws and small teeth, so it uses its long tail (caudal fins) like a whip to stun or kill small fishes to eat.

Concept: Jellyfish
Species: Physalia Physalis
Common name: Floating terror

Its gas-filled head remains at the surface, while the rest is submerged. As it has no means of propulsion, it moves according to the winds, currents, and tides.

Concept: Royal
Species: Stamonita Haemastoma
Common name: Red mouthed rock shell

Stramonita's shell was one of the two principal sources of Tyrian purple, a highly priced dye used in classical times for clothing of the royalty.

Concept: Witch
Species: Mixed
Common name: -

Her body changed due to her magic. She is a really fast swimmer, but can also survive out of water. The body is that of a green anaconda and her pincer, or chela, is from a freshwater shrimp.

Concept: Glacier
Species: Eptatretus stoutii
Common name: Pacific hagfish

This mermaid is blind and wanders on the depths of the ocean, searching for dead or dying animals to feed of. It has no jaw, and its tongue is dented and protrusible.

Concept: Tropical
Species: Synchiropus Sycorax
Common name: Ruby red dragonet

Ruby dragonets are flashy bottom dwellers, they use their oversized ventral fins to "scoot" along the substrate and feed on microfauna.

Concept: Twins
Species: Oncorynchus Nerka
Common name: Red sockeye salmon

I wanted to do a couple of same species but different gender. Male salmons have their backs humpy-er than females, and they can also be redder.

Concept: Crystal
Species: Clione limacina
Common name: Naked sea butterfly

Naked sea butterflies are non-shelled pteropods that lives in both ends of the Earth. They are almost transparent and use their head tentacles to immobilize their preys.

Concept: Siren
Species: Leucocarbo atriceps
Common name: Imperial shag

I took the greek mythologic interpretation of what a Siren is. This one here is mixed with an imperial shag, a cormorant native to south america.

Concept: Cute and Pastel
Species: Betta slendens
Common name: Betta fish (cambodian butterfly variation)

Cambodian bettas have pale body with colorful fins, and butterfly bettas have fins with two colors.

Concept: Galaxy
Species: Betta splendens
Common name: Betta fish (Super delta royal blue variation)

Royal blue bettas are iridiscent. Super delta bettas have huge fins, with a tail that spreads up to 160° degrees.

Concept: Rainbow
Species: Melanotaenia praecox
Common name: Neon rainbowfish

A bright and iridiscent tropical mermaid.

Concept: Plant life
Species: Novaculichtys taeniourus
Common name: Rockmover fish (juvenile)

Juvenile rockmovers or "dragon wrasse" resemble algae and mimic the movements of detached, drifting seaweed by swaying back and forth in the currents.

Concept: Magical and merman
Species: Silurus glanis
Common name: Wels catfish

"A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. (...) And in that way he becomes immortal"
Inspired by the giant catfish from "Big fish" movie.

Concept: Sea worm
Species: Pseudobiceros Hancockanus
Common name: Marine flatworm

They can travel long distances, swimming by ondulating the edges of its body. They look hypnotizing when doing so, like waving little flags.

Concept: Octopus and venomous
Species: Hapalochlaena
Common name: Blue ringed octopus

Rather docile if not provoked, they "light up" its body and its iridiscent rings as an aposematic warning display. They have a highly venomous neurotoxin.

Concept: Warrior and guardian
Species: Betta slendens
Common name: Betta fish (crowntail dragonmask variation)

Dragon crowntail masked betta, man there are so much varieties of these species. This one seemed fitting to these concepts.

Concept: Seahorse
Species: Hippocampus ingens
Common name: Giant seahorse