Merfolk (Winx Club)

Mer-folk are the native species of the world of Andros. The females, called "Mermaids", are winged magical creatures with the lower part of a fish and the upper part of women. The males of their species are mermen, who are also known as "Tritons", and lack wings for some reason. They seem to be larger winged versions of Water nymphs without skin flaps under the arms. Mermaid society is found in the realm of Andros. Mermaids have powerful voices and the ability to fly.

Biology
The mer-folk have wings and can fly, but only the females, the males possess a large spinal fin instead. Mermaids, like Fairies and Witches may have to attend schooling to learn their Mermaid magic, or it could be that they are able to master their powers by themselves and that older mermaids teach other mermaids how to use their magic like some traditional societies on Earth. Some mermaids have specific powers like Kalia, mermaid of flowers and Nesia, mermaid of sweet song.

Behavior
By nature, mermaids are gentle creatures and they rather help others but there are seasoned warriors such as the Mermaids who guard the Omega Dimension and Princess Tressa who was trained to be a warrior.

There is a magical link between Andros and the oceans of other planets in the Magical Dimension which mermaids travel through which explains why some mermaids may possibly have existed at one point on Earth. Now that the Earth's magic has been restore, it could be that mermaids may come back to Earth through the magical link between the Ocean of Andros and the oceans of Earth, similarly to how Tritannus found himself at the site of an oil spill on Earth. At one point, Aisha was summoned to Andros by Tala and they both swam into the ocean on Magix to emerge on Andros. According to Aisha and Tressa, the depth of the Ocean of Andros does not reach to an end and does not have a bottom. Mermaids are to be adept at traveling the underwater currents of Andros.

Mer-monsters
Mermaids that were changed into monsters by Valtor and the Trix when they broke out if the Omega Dimension. Valtor puts his mark on them to turn mermaids into dark mermaids. Their eyes change color and their faces get more hideous. There are two classes, the reptilian and the humanoid class. Both are dangerous. As this was a transformation and corruption brought on by Valtor to bring out a Mermaid's evil side this may be a transformation, devolution, or evolution or just another mermaid's aspect.

Dark mermaids
These were created from the dark magic of the Wizards of the Black Circle used to guard the island of Tir Nan Og so as to prevent people from finding the location of the Earth Fairies or from helping them.

Mutants
After Tritannus absorbs the toxic power, he turned into a horrible monster and turns the triton guardians into monsters. The same thing happened to mermaids. Other things coming soon...

Pop Pixie
These mermaids are different, they don't have wings so they can't fly. Then again, the only mermaids seen were the pixies in mermaid form, so that may not be the case.

They live in a lake that isn't in Pixieville. In The Mermaid's Potion, Amore, Chatta, Lockette, Martino and Fixit were turned into mermaids by Rex.

Culture and society
The mer-folk of Andros are currently ruled by King Neptune his son Nereus, Queen Ligea and her daughter and successor Princess Tressa, and seem to have a matriarchal society. Their messenger and ambassador is Tala. Mermaids tend to stick together in close groups called schools. And they have their own language which people from Andros seem to understand. The mermaids and people of Andros have a great relationship and many mermaids are friends with Aisha and regard her as a heroine.

The Guardian Mermaids have the important task of guarding the portal to the Omega Dimension. All Guardian Mermaid guards look alike with dark skin, green hair, purple tails, leathery small Winx level-like webbed wings from their back which allow them to fly, wearing armor and carrying spears from which they shoot magical blast (similar to Warrior Fairies). The Mermaid guards that were transformed into Mer-Monsters by Valtor, took on a more reptilian appearance than the other mermaids who looked more humanoid.

Neptune was introduced as the King of Andros, ruling it's Seas while Teredor rules all the lands above the surface and it was revealed that Ligea is his wife, and that the twins Nereus and Tritannus are their children and the brothers of Tressa. This also means that the male counterparts of the Mermaids are the Tritons.

Individuals

 * Neptune: the King of the Seas of Andros,
 * Nereus: the heir to the throne
 * Tritannus: the son of Neptune and brother of Nereus, who was turned into a monster by pollution due to an oil spill on Earth.
 * Queen Ligea: Queen of the mermaids.
 * Princess Tressa: Princess of the mermaids.
 * Guardian Mermaids
 * Dark Sirens: Nazca, Terala, Unla, Limes and Asfodelia.

Related Species

 * Undine (likely)
 * Fairy (possibly)