Long-necked Sea Serpent

Plesiosaur-shaped but actually a giant sea lion relative, this serpent matches the merhorse in size and is sometimes wrongly called its mate. It is nearly hairless apart from muzzle whiskers and a short bristly crest down the back, and a skin fold behind the head stands in for a mane. The neck is long, slim and flexible enough to point any direction or rise straight up. Its tiny round head has a tapered seal muzzle likened to a horse, giraffe or camel, with eyes visible only up close. Two short horn-like tubes atop the head likely serve as raisable snorkels, letting it breathe while nearly hidden or exhale underwater without a blinding bubble stream.

Its fat body bunches into one to three humps as it swims, with four seal flippers and little or no tail. Wet skin looks smooth, dry skin rough and wrinkled; the back is dark brown mottled gray, black or white, the belly dirty yellow.

It has the merhorse's statistics and speed, but its bite deals only 1-8.

It is seen everywhere except the coldest seas, apparently summering in cool water and wintering in the tropics.