Estuarine Mermaids
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Estuarine mermaids usually prefer to stay close to the continental shelf and in warmer waters. They are often found in lagoons and in estuaries, hence their name. However, estuarine mermaids will quite happily venture miles up rivers in search of prey, and also out of curiosity. They can also occasionally be found in deep water, but they usually only travel there in large numbers or in the company of a Leviathan, a mermaid variety they have a close friendship with. Estuarine mermaids are among the smallest species of mermaids on Felarya. On average they only grow to around 23 to 30 feet in length, the upper size being for a very large specimen. They are a very long-lived people and take quite some time to reach this size. Most estuarine mermaids encountered are less than twenty feet long.
They have a sleek shape, well suited to fast swimming and as such they can move extremely quickly through water. They vary in coloration from region to region but are usually blue or silver with black spots, like a spotted dolphin. When threatened, however, their colors immediately change to bright red or orange to warn potential predators of their high toxicity. Indeed, for most creatures, eating an estuarine mermaid is fatal. Only a select few are immune to their poisonous flesh, or are simply too large to be seriously affected by the toxin. Estuarine mermaids are great travelers and are a well known source of news for the inhabitants of the underseas realms, keeping on good terms with most intelligent races. They are fairly friendly with humans as well. Most of this is due to their great fondness of "bow-riding" in front of human ships, the faster the better! Some sailors have even managed to work with them to hunt fish and squid. It should be mentioned that large estuarine mermaids have been known, on occasion, to eat people whole. While rare, it does happen!
Known Estuarine Mermaids
- Aleski
- Credits goes to Zoekin for the Estuarine idea.
