Mercow

Ma ruffled my crew cut. "If you'd been the lookout, you'd've told them these were sea cows, not mermaids, right?" "Right," I said. "Mercows," said Mr. Drake behind us. "Moo. Glub glub glub. Moo."

Mercow. The description of pretty mermaids frolicking in the water is so widespread that it was thought there must be a real creature lurking behind the legends.