History Main / UnscaledMerfolk

** Her historical fantasy novel ''The Moon and the Sun'' has the similar (but naturally-occurring) humanlike "sea people."
* Marguerite de Lubert's 18th century FairyTale novella ''Princess Camion'' involves the protagonist, Camion, being turned into a half-human, half-whale as per a curse.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: Multiple:

* The Mirra from Alida Van Gores ''Mermaid's Song'' are similarly half-human, half dolphin, as were several mermaids created by L. Sprague [=DeCamp=].

* Meg in the Disney Universe is half-octopus in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode “Road to the Multiverse”

* The mer-folk in the anime adaptation of ''Anime/TheLittleMermaid'' are also dolphin-tailed.

Usually when OurMermaidsAreDifferent, they still tend to be part fish, or more specifically the scaled kinds. It's less common to see a merfolk that's part [[ThreateningShark shark]] [[note]] though sharks technically have scales, they are, if not microscopic, at least really small [[/note]]or ray, or part cetacean, crustacean, [[CthulHumanoid cephalopod]], mollusk, etc. But they do show up in fiction, and that's what this trope is about. Octopus-bodied merfolk, in particular, are the most likely to be treated as their own thing and are often called "cecaelia".

Usually when OurMermaidsAreDifferent, they still tend to be part fish, or more specifically the scaled kinds. It's less common to see a merfolk that's part [[ThreateningShark shark]] [[note]] though sharks technically have scales, they are, if not microscopic, at least really small [[/note]]or ray, or part cetacean, crustacean, [[CthulHumanoid cephalopod]], mollusk, etc. But they do show up in fiction, and that's what this trope is about. Octopus-bodied merfolk, in particular, are the most likely to be treated as their own thing and are often called "caecilias".

* River Sirens from ''Adventure is Nigh'' are elven women with technicolor hair from the waist up, and freshwater octopi below that. It's stated that their horriffic main jaws reside at the center of their tentacle cluster.

* ''Literature/PrincessesOfThePizzaParlor'': In ''Princesess on the Broken Sea'', features combat on the sea, and so, some of these:
** [[spoiler:Sally Slickskin]], tentacles for legs, and humanoid upper half.
** Isurri shark-men:
---> Naked from the waist up, their skins were decorated with horny growths that twitched as they moved. Three larger growths, more obviously fins, adorned their head instead of hair.
* Several species of unnaturals in ''Literature/MarketOfMonsters'' fit this description, like Mirella, the shapeshifting human-dolphin, and a man Nita sees in INHUP headquarters with eight octopus legs, whom she identifies as a ningyo (Japanese mermaid).

Usually when OurMermaidsAreDifferent, they still tend to be part fish, or more specifically the scaled kinds. It's less common to see a merfolk that's part [[ThreateningShark shark]] [[note]] though sharks technically have scales, they are, if not microscopic, at least really small [[/note]]or ray, or part cetacean, crustacean, [[CthulHumanoid cephalopod]], mollusk, etc. But they do show up in fiction, and that's what this trope is about.

* In ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'', the Merfolk are composed of several different types. Kithain Merfolk are divided into different Houses based on various vertebrate sea creatures. Scaled fish are only a single house (albeit the largest), while sharks, eels, and rays are another, and air-breathing creatures like whales, reptiles, and dolphins are another, the last of which are most well-known to humans due to their interactions with them. Thallain Merfolk, on the other hand, are composed of the myriad of seagoing invertebrates.
* ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons 3e]]'' had darfellans, based off of killer whales.
* The TabletopGame/{{Mystara}} setting is home to the kopru, a race of aquatic mind-controllers with {{Cthulhumanoid}} faces, slick eel-like bodies, and triple-finned tails that end in nasty ripping hooks. Think mermaid mind flayers.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' has cecaelias, another race of Ursula-style octopus-merfolk. (The name of the species is a common modern term for such beings, believed to have been inspired by the ''Vampirella'' example.)
** It also has the grindylows, an aquatic aberration that is essentially [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent a goblin doing the octopus-merfolk thing]]. Though not officially "goblinoids", they do share the same general mentality, though they hate and fear squids rather than horses and dogs. For reasons that should be obvious.

* The OceanPunk setting of ''TabletopGame/SeasOfVodari'' for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has two playable races of this type. Three, if you count the Tiburons, which are [[SharkMan humanoid sharks]] from the waist up and then regular sharks from the waist down, merfolk style. The Cecaelia are the classic "octopus merfolk" species, complete with color-changing skin, high intelligent, and a surprisingly short lifespan. Grindylows, subaquatic Vodari's equivalent of [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent goblins]], are [[SharkMan humanoid sharks]] from the waist up and octopus merfolk from the waist down.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

* Triton the Inhuman in the Ultimate Universe is more fleshy cephalopod based than his scaly mainstream counterpart.

[[folder:Television -- Live Action]]
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' features Ursula as an ancient sea goddess. When the Evil Queen Regina impersonates her, thinking the goddess is fictional, Ursula brings a statue to life and threatens her life.
** Season 4 brings in Ursula the villain, as usual for Creator/{{Disney}} featuring ''Franchise/TheLittleMermaid'' franchise characters. Her backstory shows her to be a normal mermaid before becoming a sea witch and becoming half-octopus like the goddess whose name she takes.
[[/folder]]

* The heroes of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' use this whenever they visit [[UnderTheSea Atlantica]]. This is the trope image. The only exception is in ''Chain of Memories'', where they simply [[WalkDontSwim walk around the ocean floor]].

* One of the Dark Lord of Dirkholme books had Dirk, the titular Dark Lord, speculating on creating a mermaid daughter with his wife (long story, but "Dark Lord" is [[PunchClockVillain just his day job]], and he's more of a mad scientist in his spare time).

* ''Manga/DeadlineSummonner'' has a scylla in Mamoru's harem. For those who don't know, a scylla is a half-human monster with the lower half of an octopus. [[CuteMonsterGirl She's rather attractive.]]

** ''Manga/DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl'', also by the same mangaka, also has a scylla, named Octo. There also exist shark and eel subspecies.

* The Cray in Creator/ChinaMieville's ''Literature/TheScar'' are essentially lobster-bodied centaurs. [[spoiler:The Grindylow on the other hand are a sort of [[BodyHorror terrifying]] angler-fish/newt-people.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' had the zoveri, a race of [[OurAngelsAreDifferent celestials]] who are octopus-mermaids as per [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ursula]].

* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'' has Azul (an octopus merman), Jade and Floyd (twin moray eel mermen). While Azul's true form has yet to be revealed, the twins' eel forms lean noticeably further towards the fish end of the spectrum (webbed fingers, vertical tail flukes, fins on the back of their forearms and in place of their ears, green colouration and markings extending past the hips to the torso and face) than the background merfolk depicted in the game, who all possess typical [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Disney merfolk]] anatomy.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-07-28 Dominic]] [[Webcomic/DominicDeegan Deegan]] has an octopus variety and a shark variety among its merfolk.
* Merfolk in the world of ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' are based on sea slugs, specifically [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucus_atlanticus Glaucus atlanticus]]. They haven't yet appeared in the comic but the author has done some artwork of them.

* The Wiki/SCPFoundation have one of those who appears somewhat half-dolphin.
** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-327 SCP-327]]

* Ursula of ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' is half octopus, a form of mermaid known as cecaelia. Her sister Morgana is the same, though she is much skinnier with green skin while Ursula is more full figured with purple skin.

* As are the merfolk in John Ringo's ''Emerald Seas'', though the [[CoversAlwaysLie cover would have you believe otherwise]].
* From ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Victor Krum transfigures himself partially into a shark.
** While [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Their Mermaids Are]] vaguely squiddish.
* The Mer in Helen Dunmore's ''Ingo'' series are closer to half seal than anything else.

* Creator/VondaNMcIntyre:

* Nereus from ''Literature/TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'' has eight octopus tentacles (a la [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ursula]]) instead of a tail.

* As are the mer in John ***'s ''Emerald Seas'', though the [[CoversAlwaysLie cover would have you believe otherwise]]

[[folder:Videogames]]

* As are the mer in John Ringo's ''Emerald Seas'', though the [[CoversAlwaysLie cover would have you believe otherwise]]

* The heroes of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' use this whenever they visit [[UnderTheSea Atlantica]]. This is the trope image. The only exception is in ''Chain of Memories'', where they simply walk around the ocean floor.

* While the Zora, the resident FishPeople of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', have been traditionally modeled on bony fish, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' gave them more shark-like appearances, with Prince Sidon in particular heavily resembling a hammerhead. They also have Muzu, who is based on a manta ray, and King Dorephan, who is based on a whale.

* The 2016 Hong Kong comedy, ''The Mermaid'' have a mer-octopus which serves as the PluckyComicRelief character.

* The 2016 Hong Kong comedy, ''The Mermaid'' have a mer-octoous which serves as the PluckyComicRelief character.