Merfolk

Merfolks, Mercreatures, Mermen or Merpeople are legendary water-dwelling human-like beings. They are attested in folklore and mythology throughout the ages in various parts of the world.

Female merfolks are called mermaids, although in a strict sense mermaids are confined to beings who are half-woman and half-fish in appearance. Male merfolks are called mermen. Depending on the story, they can be described as either ugly or beautiful.

Chinese renyu (人魚) stands for "merfolks", but in ancient geographical or natural historical tracts, this referred to "human-fish" or "man-fish" purported to inhabit rivers or lakes in certain parts of China. Japanese ningyo (人魚) is also "merfolks" and also applied to various human-like fish recorded in writings from medieval times into the Edo Period.