A fabled female marine creature with the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide and are often associated with female beauty and love as they are usually portrayed to be gentle, beautiful creatures falling in love with humans.

In Greek mythology, mermaids are associated with the sirens as well as with sirenia, a biological order comprising dugongs and manatees. In art legends, mermaids are often depicted holding a mirror and a comb. They often sit on rocks singing, luring sailors to their places.

Sightings of mermaids have been reported by the early Greeks and Arabs, medieval sailors, Christopher Columbus, and up into the 1900's. In 2012, the U.S. National Ocean Service stated that no evidence of mermaids has ever been found.