The Merbaby Egg

Here is a picture of a merbaby in her egg. We used to think that mermaids had live births, but we now know that female mermaids lay soft shelled eggs. These eggs are then carefully tethered to long strands of seaweed that grow in sheltered coves along the coastline.



While still an infant, the merbaby's tail is not bifurcated. It remains a single narrow strip until the merbaby is old enough to take her first swim outside of the egg. At that time, the powerful propelling motion causes the tail to split into the "fish" tail that we see in most mermaid images presented in today's media.


Often, a starfish "nanny" can be seen guarding the egg. The nanny's job it to make sure the tethers hold firm during times of ocean upheaval and to cover over the egg's opening, which becomes wider and wider as the youth inside grows and develops.

Until next time, happy crafting! Thanks for popping in!
Theresa