How Do Mermaids Reproduce?

The age old question. How do mermaids reproduce? The truth is, no one knows for certain how mermaids reproduce. They've never been discovered and studied, so we can only postulate hypotheses based on their closeness to marine creatures.

Mermaids are part fish based on folklore, but they may also be considered an aquatic mammal, similar to a manatee, whale, or dolphin. So we can guess that mermaids either reproduce like fish, laying eggs, or they grow babies inside and give live birth to them.

I will tell you about both fish and aquatic mammal reproduction.

Let's start with fish. There are some fish, like the Amazon Molly, who reproduce asexually. But for the majority, the female fish will lay eggs in the water and the male fish will fertilize them externally. This process is called Ovuliparity. Because mermaids are considered to be half human, half fish, this is one scenario for mermaid reproduction.

However, given (female) mermaids have breasts and the same upper structure of a human, it is also possible that they reproduce similarly to the way humans do.

While you don't see any genitals on mermaids in media, mermaids likely have internal reproductive organs, meaning they have no external parts that can be seen. Mermaids probably have some sort of ambiguous opening, from which the male merperson's genitals would come out of during a mating ritual, similar to many other creatures .

I imagine that merfolk mating involves some sort of dance that includes wrapping their tails around each other. Many fish participate in a courtship dance so why wouldn't mermaids?

When a mermaid becomes pregnant, like a marine mammal, it is called oviparity.

"Oviparity is where fertilization occurs internally," Says Wikipedia.

Based on mythology, mermaids are considered half fish, but when you analyze mermaid biology, based on stories, and art, it becomes clear that mermaids are more similar to marine mammals.

A mammal is a creature that breathes air through lungs, gives live birth, produces milk and nurses (females do this), and has hair, usually.

A marine mammal is simply a mammal that has adaptations allowing it to thrive in aquatic environments, such as the sea.

Mermaids perfectly fall into the category or marine mammal. They have hair, they have breasts, they have a human torso, likely with lungs inside, and they have belly buttons. A belly button implies they were born inside a womb, with an umbilical cord attached, providing them with nutrients and oxygen.

Mermaid tails also move in a similar fashion to whale and dolphin tails. They go up and down instead of side to side like a fish.

We can assume that mermaids, if they are real, reproduce like marine mammals, which is sexually.

Allow me to share the way whales mate, so you can understand how mermaids would likely do it. Without going too much into detail, whales have slits on their torso, inside which their genitalia is located. During mating, males would deposit sperm inside the female, fertilizing her egg. The female would then grow a baby whale inside her and she would give birth to it, fully formed.

I imagine it is much the same way for mermaids. Since mermaids are humanoid creatures, they probably have some kind of courtship ritual, involving flirting, that eventually becomes physical. Their mating would be similar to human mating in some aspects, like kissing and caressing.

Mermaids are shrouded in mystery, but this is one less mystery to muse about.

Now you know how mermaids most likely reproduce. I hope you enjoyed this article. Be shore to check back in a month or so to see my next article.

About the author

Shello! My name is Mermaid Liv, a professional mermaid and content creator. I share my love of mermaiding through this blog, along with my Youtube channel.

If you've never heard of it before, mermaiding is a hobby, profession, and sport that involves wearing mermaid tails made for swimming.

I began making tails in 2013 and have continued my mermaid journey, starting my Youtube channel, working at a mermaid festival, performing at gigs, and being featured in the Netflix Docu Series MerPeople.

Follow me on Instagram for mermaid photos and videos: @the_real_mermaid_liv and be *shore* to check out my Youtube channel.