Siyokoy (Philippine mythology)

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In Philippine mythology, a siyokoy (also syokoy) is an aquatic humanoid creature often described as having scales, webbed limbs, and fins. Most legends characterise siyokoy as hostile to humans, and are said to drown individuals.

While siyokoy are often likened to the Western mermaid due to the Philippines' colonial history, its name suggests a Chinese origin. This is highly plausible given Chinese records of indigenous polities in what is now the Philippines dates to at least 982 AD,^[1][2][3] several centuries before Europe’s Age of Discovery.