Mermaid Taxonomy

I updated the classification since doing the illustrations, so they don't match in all instances. Will I redo them later? Who's to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Undines nereides familiarius

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, peachy skin, blonde hair pulled into messy ponytail, mauve seashells on boobs, light green tail, sheer green fins, very standard Disney-eqsue look

Environment: coral reef
Social structure: chiefdom
Diet: omnivore
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: heterodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: crayola

Undines nereides kleftis

Environment: sea shore
Social structure: bands
Diet: scavenger
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: heterodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: sea

Undines nereides sirens

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, peachy skin, very long dishwater-blonde (or light taupe) hair falling messily over her shoulders and obscuring one eye, barnacles over her boobs, sea-grey tail, sheer sea-grey fins

Environment: solitary rocky outcrops (salt water)
Social structure: bands
Diet: ???
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: heterodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: dreary/stormy sea
Special features: strong singing tradition

Undines polychroma

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, light skin with golden undertones, eyes fixed in unfocused stare, unkempt medium-long reddish hair, some kind of bright aqua scales covering boobs, yellow tail with bright aqua tripes running along the length, sheer aqua fins, including pectoral and central fins with defined radials, tropic fish vibes

Environment: coral reef
Social structure: schools
Diet: small prey
Tail: vertebrate tropical fish
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: gills
Coloration: highly saturated
Special features: animal brain, upper body fins

Undines opscuri

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, pale pink-toned skin, hair is a desaturated medium-dark blue, bangs and high ponytail, weird fluffy grey-ish things cover the boobs, desaturated purple tail with blue-white biolumiscent spots along the length, a weird scalloped fin running down the length of the tail instead of caudal fin, fin is sheer and matches hair in colour

Environment: deep sea
Social structure: ???
Diet: ???
Tail: vertebrate fishy
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: gills
Coloration: dark, cool colours
Special features: bioluminescence

Undines venator

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, peachy skin, light brown bob with parted bangs, sharp teeth and blood around mouth, blood smudges cover her boobs and hands, grey shark tail with visible gills, looks evil

Environment: open ocean
Social structure: lone hunters
Diet: carnivore
Tail: shark
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: gills
Coloration: grey
Special features: claws, ruthless attitude

Undines arctica

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, pale skin with golden undertones, flushed cheeks and nose, very long bone-straight black hair, grey sealskin tube top, orca tail

Environment: arctic
Social structure: bands
Diet: carnivore
Tail: predatory sea mammal
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: lungs
Coloration: natural
Special features: blubber, clothing

Undines ursulae

Environment: deep sea
Social structure: ???
Diet: ???
Tail: octopus/squid (invertebrate)
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: gills
Coloration: dark/desaturated purples & pinks (some blue)
Special features: unknown terror

Undines turbidae

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, light tan-ish skin, pointed teeth, shaggy muddy-brown hair, torn scrap of mud-green fabric for a top, swampy green tail with ragged-edged sheer green fins, looks like she's had a hard time of life but isn't ill-natured

Environment: swamp (sweet water)
Social structure: bands
Diet: mostly carnivorous
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: homodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: swampy greens & browns
Special features: claws, webbed fingers

Undines limnus

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, light pink-ish skin, long blonde hair covering boobs, strands of white pearls in hair, pale blue tail, flowy sheer blue fins with lines of pearls on them

Environment: sweetwater lake
Social structure: tribes
Diet: omnivore
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: heterodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: cool pastels
Special features: glitter

Undines glaesum

side-ways digital sketch of a mermaid, light skin with golden undertones, loose wavy shoulder-length light-brown hair, pieces of amber cover chest, tangerine-orange tail with frilly fins, flowery orange corsage on wrist

Environment: river (sweetwater)
Social structure: tribes
Diet: omnivore
Tail: vertebrate fish
Dentition: heterodont
Respiration: lungs + gills
Coloration: warm
Special features: amberification, scalification