mermaid

Mythical sea creature (the male is a merman), having a human head and torso, often of great beauty, and a fish's tail. Suggested animals behind the myth include the dugong or manatee and seal.

Mermaids were capable of living on land and entering into social liaisons with ordinary mortals, although such relationships generally ended in disaster.

Fish gods represented as half fish, half human appear in a number of ancient Middle Eastern mythologies, including the Babylonian two-headed water god Ea or Enki, and the Phoenician Dagon or El, father of Baal.