History Main / ApparentlyHumanMerfolk

* There's an old Soviet romantic sci-fi film called ''The Human Amphibian'', in which an oceanologist's son with sick lungs [[WeCanRebuildHim was given]] [[BioPunk additional implants]] [[YouFailBiologyForever derived from the gils of a young shark]]. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin He can survive on land, but mostly sticks to the sea, where he's more comfortable with breathing.]] The main plot point of the movie is [[spoiler: the gradual deterioration of his ability to breathe atmospheric air and the need to forever leave dry land and live purely in the sea]].

* There's an old Soviet romantic sci-fi film called ''The Human Amphibian'', in which an oceanologist's son with sick lungs [[WeCanRebuildHim was given]] [[BioPunk additional implants]] [[YouFailBiologyForever derived from the gils of a young shark]]. [[ExactlyWhatIsSaysOnTheTin He can survive on land, but mostly sticks to the sea, where he's more comfortable with breathing.]] The main plot point of the movie is [[spoiler: the gradual deterioration of his ability to breathe atmospheric air and the need to forever leave dry land and live purely in the sea]].

[[Series/{{Stingray}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarinaStingrayAquaMarina_7851.jpg]]
[[caption-width:216:Mariiinaa... aqua, Marina]]

* DC has {{Aquaman}}, Aqualad, and their kin
* Marvel has Namor the {{Sub-Mariner}} who has slightly pointy ears and wings on his feet as he can also fly, but looks much closer to human than fish.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarinaStingrayAquaMarina_7851.jpg

* The Atlanteans from Disney's ''{{Ptitledztlyey0hfvu}}'' would probably count, especially during the scene where ____ ______ and ________ ____ are exploring a large mural submerged underwater: ____ had to swim upwards so he can get some air, while ____ doesn't have to (the main reason why she went up as well is so that she is near ____ at all times).

* This is the typical form of mermaids in the ArabianNights and other Middle Eastern folklore; the only difference between them and land-dwelling humans is that they (and in one story, their children) can breathe underwater.

Then there's these characters, they look so human that they could wander unnoticed down a city street, but can breathe and live underwater. In fact many prefer to live underwater as that is often where they were born, and they only come to the surface to complain that HumansAreBastards for polluting the ocean, or to do some superheroing. In fact if they are unused to life on land they may find themselves acting like a FishOutOfWater.

* ''The Secret of Platform 13'' has Melisande, a merrow who is proud of having feet and touchy about being taken for a mermaid.

* ''SpongeBobSquarePants'' gives us Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy

* The Top Cow comic ''Fathom'' is about a member of a race of water-based humanoid {{Elemental Shapeshifter}}s who have this among their abilities.

Then there's these characters, they look so human that they could wander unnoticed down a city street unnoticed, but can breathe and live underwater. In fact many prefer to live underwater as that is often where they were born, and they only come to the surface to complain that HumansAreBastards for polluting the ocean, or to do some superheroing. In fact if they are unused to life on land they may find themselves acting like a FishOutOfWater.

* In TalesOfLegendia there's the Ferines, an aquatic race that looks perfectly human despite the fact that [[spoiler: they evolved completely underwater; their planet had NO dry land until humans from space came and raised it from the ocean]].

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* Everybody from Spira in ''FinalFantasyX'' and ''X-2''. Although it's a case of AllThereInTheManual that everyone on Spira can, even though they didn't show in game that everybody could do it. Of the PlayerCharacters, only Tidus, Wakka and Rikku are shown to have this ability, and they are the only ones playable in underwater areas.
* In TalesOfLegendia there's the Ferines, an aquatic race that looks perfectly human despite the fact that [[spoiler: they evolved completely underwater; their planet had NO dry land until humans from space came and raised it from the ocean]].

* ''TheManFromAtlantis'' is another example.

Then there's these characters, they look so human that they could wander unnoticed down a city street unnoticed, but the can breathe and live underwater. In fact many prefer to live underwater as that is often where they were born, and they only come to the surface to complain that HumansAreBastards for polluting the ocean, or to do some superheroing. In fact if they are unused to life on land they may find themselves acting like a FishOutOfWater.

Then there's these characters, they look human so could wander unnoticed down a city street, but the can breathe and live underwater. In fact many prefer to live underwater as that is often where they were born, and they only come to the surface to complain that HumansAreBastards for polluting the ocean, or to do some superheroing. In fact if they are unused to life on land they may find themselves acting like a FishOutOfWater.

So you half mermaids and men, half-human half-fish (or part [[UnscaledMerfolk seal, dolphin, whale]]) who come with their own [[MermaidProblem set of problems]]. Then you have FishPeople who a humanoid but scaly, think of the CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon.

* Everybody from Spira in ''FinalFantasyX'' and ''X-2''. Although it's a case of AllThereInTheManual that everyone on Spira can, even though they didn't show in game that everybody could do it. Of the PCs, only Tidus, Wakka and Rikku are shown to have this ability, and they are the only ones playable in underwater areas.

* Marina and her people (all of whom are mute) from ''{{Stingray}}''

* Aquamarina and her people (all of whom are mute) from ''{{Stingray}}''

Often overlaps with WalkDontSwim, WaterIsDry, and WaterIsAir

* Marvel has Namor the Submariner who has slightly pointy ears and wings on his feet as he can also fly, but looks much closer to human than fish

* ''TheManFromAtlantis'' is another example

* The titular character of ''PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' what with him being Poseidon's illegitimate son and all

Everybody from Spira in ''FinalFantasyX'' and ''X-2''. Although it's a case of AllThereInTheManual that everyone on Spira can, even though they didn't show in game that everybody could do it. Of the PCs, only Tidus, Wakka and Rikku are shown to have this ability, and they are the only ones playable in underwater areas.

So you half mermaids and men, half-human half-fish (or part [[UnscaledMerfolk seal, dolphin, whale]]) who come with their own [[MermaidProblem set of problems]]. Then you have FishPeople who a humanoid but scaly, think of ''TheCreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.

Then there's these characters, they look human so could wander unnoticed down a city street, but the can breathe and live underwater. In fact many prefer to live underwater as that is often where they were born, and they only come to the surface to complain that HumansAreBastards for polluting the ocean, or to do some superheroing. In fact if they are unused to life on land they may find themselves acting like AFishOutOfWater.