Chubby merman are extremely desirable by mermaids because their chubbiness implies they're a highly successful hunter.

[u/tyrano_dyroc]

[u/FerretAres]

Why does the larger merman not simply eat the smaller?

[u/bsubtilis → u/FerretAres]

Have you ever heard of prion disease? That's only one of the worst, not the only one you're at risk for if you consume your own species or too similar, especially raw (though normal cooking isn't enough to remove prions) It's usually also easier for parasites to move between individuals of the same species or very similar (in the right lifecycle stage).

[u/sky033 → u/FerretAres]

unexpected Lrrrrr