"Who would be
A mermaid fair,
Singing alone,
Combing her hair
Under the sea,
In a golden curl
With a comb of pearl,
On a throne?"
A mermaid fair,
Singing alone,
Combing her hair
Under the sea,
In a golden curl
With a comb of pearl,
On a throne?"
— "The Mermaid" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Tropes about merfolk, the legendary half fish, half human people that live in the deep. Compare Elf Tropes and Fairy Tropes.
Look at these tropes, aren't they neat?
- Alchemic Elementals
Merfolk and similar beings are sometimes portrayed as water elementals. - Amazing Technicolor Population
Merfolk occasionally possess abnormal skin colors, normally blue or green. - Apparently Human Merfolk
People who look human, but who can breathe and live underwater. - Awesome Underwater World
When the undersea realm is depicted as awesome. - Bathtub Mermaid
Merfolk and other aquatic creatures kept in stationary tanks and other containers. - Captain Fishman
Merfolk superheroes. - Cthulhumanoid
Some merfolk have cephalopod characteristics rather than fishlike ones. - Ear Fins
Fins instead of ears, common for merfolk and other aquatic characters - Fish People
People with a humanoid shape but fishy features. - Inhumanly Beautiful Race
Merfolk, mermaids in particular, are often very beautiful beyond human standards. - Lord of the Ocean
Gods of the ocean are often associated with mermaids. - Mermaid Arc Emergence
When mermaids surface, it is often with splendor. - Mermaid in a Wheelchair
Mermaids on land often use wheelchairs to get around. - Mermaid Problem
How merfolk sexual biology would interact with humans. - Mobile Fishbowl
Merfolk who can't breathe air bring water with them to interact with land-dwellers. - Our Hippocamps Are Different
Horses with mermaid-like fish tails, and potentially other piscine traits. - Our Mermaids Are Different
The varied kinds of merfolk. - Pointy Ears
Merfolk occasionally possess these. - Prongs of Poseidon
Merfolk often wield tridents as their main weapon. - Seashell Bra
Two seashells worn to cover the breasts. - Selkies and Wereseals
Human-seal shapeshifters. - Shark Man
Sharks with a humanoid shape, or vice versa. - Sirens Are Mermaids
The Sirens of mythology portrayed as mermaids. - Super Not-Drowning Skills
Merfolk can life underwater indefinitely, or at least for an extended time. - Tailfin Walking
Merfolk walking upright on their tailfins. - Token Aquatic Race
They're often merfolk. - Underwater City
Merfolk often live in these. - Underwater Kiss
Merfolk kissing either each other or a human while underwater. - Unscaled Merfolk
Merfolk that are aren't scaled fish below the waist. - Unusual Ears
Merfolk sometimes have non-standard ears, commonly either elfin ears or fin-/gill-like ears. - Water Is Womanly
Water associated with femininity.
