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dashinvaine β Stalker of the Deep
Published: 2009-01-27 19:58:12 +0000 UTC; Views: 11778; Favourites: 303; Downloads: 400
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Description
Oil on board. Alternatively I call it 'Fishy'. Another alternative title would be 'Don't Look Back in Angler'. A friend of mine called the Angler fish monster Anglerman, which made me wonder whether fishy needs a course in anglermanagement. They also suggested that this might be what mermen actually look like, and rather than catching a meal he's out catching a mate. Nice thought...Related content
Comments: 69
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I think the sexual dimorphism of male merfolk is an interesting concept, but this portrayal is unrealistic. Many artists seem unaware of the fact that the "anglerfish" species it self is also sexually dimorphic, and the common portrayal of them you see in media is always female. Male anglerfish are tiny parasites. They are usually 1/40 the size of a female, lack lures, have no teeth, and are not the famous anglerfish that we envision. The purpose of the lure is to attract prey, as well as a potential male mate. The males are pathetic creatures, and don't survive for more than a few days, often either starving to death or getting killed in the mating process, since the males in some species commit suicide upon having sexual intercourse.
Anglerfish Sexual Dimorphism
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Male Female Size Comparison
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So this anthromorphisized anglerfish cannot be a biological male based on this fact, and unless she is a homosexual, she is likely not going to be chasing this mermaid for the sake of mating, and would more likely just eat the mermaid alive.
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Yeah, but I don't suppose mermen want to suffer the indignity of sexually confused parasites mistaking them for someone else, and fusing to their crotch XD.
And yes... Most male Anglerfish do in fact commit sexual suicide by atrophying their upper bodies and fusing to the female. This is called "sexual parasitism", and was first described in 1922, by biologist Bjarni Saemundsson, when he discovered 2 smaller fishes attached to a female Ceratoid. He assumed them to be infants, but was puzzled by the arrangement. This mystery was further investigated in 1924, when Charles Regan studied multiple specimens, and noted that all the smaller fishes were matured males, concluding that they were actually the mates of the females. To this day, only Anglerfish are known to have this bizarre sexual behavior. Not all species of Anglerfish undergo this process. Reef dwelling Anglerfish such as theΒ AntennariidaeΒ (Frogfish), show no evidence of this method of parasitic reproduction, however, the males are still dwarfed by female specimens, and are known to be eaten by them after copulation.
If I were to suggest a good species to model a sexually aggressive merman off of, it would probably be the Sepiida (Cuttlefish). They are quite bestial looking, and are one of the few aquatic species to have a very male dominated social hierarchy. The males are quite sexually aggressive, often violently fighting for potential mates. Some select few males also engage in a behavior known as "sexual mimicry", in which they have the ability to disguise themselves as a female member of a species, by mimicking their skin patterns. They do this to avoid competition with more aggressive males when entering their territory, and stalk the female in an attempt to basically have sex with them when other males are out of sight. Not exactly sure how the process of sexual mimicry would work with merfolk though, unless both the men and women had squid faces, or the men can shapeshift.
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I did know that about anglerfish, but I can't remember whether I knew it at the time when I painted this.
Male anglerfish really get a raw deal. Interesting but unappealing kind of fish. Apparently the little males of some species actually dissolve into the female leaving only the gonads hanging off her body, which she uses for reproduction.Β
I wouldn't like to think that mermen have to endure such an indignity.
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He is just suffering from love sickness!
Yeah lets go with that....
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He just wants to give her a Hug XD
Awesome pic BTW
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And a fishie kissie...
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Okay, sure. That's a new angle-r on the merman concept. Girls really prefer guys who clip their nails, though.
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Hehe! I really like this one 
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It would made sense. Sexual Dirmorphism and all.
And Fishmen look cooler than Mermen anyways.
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woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
im so jeloues
how old are you?
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One year old. (In Saturn years).
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LMAO!
but really, how old re you?
im only 13 and no where near as good as you. I want to know how long it took you to accumilate succh talent.
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Beautiful work. Great colouring, lighting, and detail!
And nice artist comments.
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Ooooh..Pretty all around! And I've always been somewhat fascinated by those fish-with-lights...They're like the Ignis Fatui of the deep...or so I like to think ^^ Also, staring at that mouth makes me uncomfortable...I bet it smells like something rotting...Poor mermaid!
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It probably doesn't smell good in there.
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I love the graceful flow of her tail, it looks so realistic in some way. Very beautiful work.
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The creep of the deep...
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Spooky! Never thought mermaids might have this problem.
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Its not all singing and finding treasure...
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All the better to see you with...
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Wonderful, it would be interesting to find that mermen look like abyssal female goosefishes with muscular arms.
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Yes I only found out from David Attinburgh it's only the female species of these fish that are that monstrous and toothsome after I'd mostly done this. (The males are small and feeble and don't even have lanterns). Maybe it's a butch lesbian mermaid.
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I thought they were from Atlantis, not from Lesbos.
Anyway it reminds me of Trogdor the burninator.
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I think the Lesbians went down as well, but that's another story...
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Rolex could use that as the best ad for the SeaDweller DeepSea watch!!! Excellent image, even better than the WIP promised!!!
Tassos
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Thanks. I think Hannah Mermaid (Fraser) did do some watch adverts, funnily enough.
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I would have gone with "Fishy."
One of your top 3 best for sure! Very Frazetta-ish!
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That's a compliment. What are the other two, out of interest?
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I'll do even better than that! Here's my top 10 (of your work) of all time! I could actually do a top 100, but i don't want to come off too fanatical and scare you away. 
1. [link]
2. [link]
3. [link]
4. [link] ( # 1 sexiest of all time!)
5. [link]
6. [link]
7. [link]
8. [link]
9. [link]
10. [link] (This one got me hooked on your work!
HM. [link]
HHM. [link]
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Haha, what a shock that my pictures of Rosslyn Chalpel and HMS Vanguard didn't make the list !
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Hahahahahahaha...yeah, I sorta prefer girls over houses and boats.
Seriously, my taste for your best works are probably not the typical "most popular" or "favorited" or "polished" ones in your gallery. I tend to love your minimalistic pieces best. The ones that you really need to look at to get the beauty and expertise out of them.
But now that you mention it, I will give your Rosslyn Chalpel and HMS Vanguard another look.
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I can see it all now.
Mermaid: I don't know how it happend, all I saw was this bright light, and the next thing you know I woke up married.
XD
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Gorgeous work, I adore your mermaids they are so beautiful and graceful 
Hayley
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