seabeing

Seabeing is a term used to describe sentient or semi-sentient beings associated with marine environments. It is not a formal taxonomic category in biology, but a speculative or fictional label used in folklore, science fiction, and theoretical discussions about life in the oceans. The term can encompass humanoid or non-humanoid forms.

In speculative biology and fiction, seabeings are imagined as creatures adapted to life in water or brackish habitats. Proposed features include efficient respiration in saline environments, tolerance to high pressure and cold, webbed or finned limbs, and sensory systems such as echolocation or enhanced underwater hearing. Social organization, culture, and technology vary by work.

In myth and folklore, sea beings appear as guardians, tricksters, or spirits associated with tides, storms, and maritime work. Modern usage of the term often serves as a neutral umbrella for discussing marine-inspired sentience without committing to a single appearance or origin.

Because seabeing has no single canonical definition, its meaning shifts with context. Critics caution that it can blur distinctions between real marine life and fictional concepts, and they emphasize clear description of attributes, habitat, and provenance when used in scholarly or encyclopedic writing.

See also: mermaid, selkie, cetacean intelligence, oceanography, marine biology.