What creature has the front of a horse and the tail of a fish?

What creature has the front of a horse and the tail of a fish? The hippocampus is the mythological creature with a horse’s front and a fish’s tail.

In Greek mythology, the hippocampus—also called a hippocamp—is generally shown with the head, neck, and forelegs of a horse and the lower body of a fish. The name comes from Greek words meaning “horse” and “sea monster.”

Hippocampi are especially associated with Poseidon, the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. Ancient and later artists often depicted them pulling his sea chariot, linking the animal’s two halves to Poseidon’s maritime and equestrian powers. The creature also appears in Greek, Phoenician, Etruscan, and Roman artistic traditions.

The hippocampus is easy to confuse with the ichthyocentaur. An ichthyocentaur has a human torso, the front legs of a horse, and a fish tail, whereas a hippocampus is horse-headed. It is also distinct from the biological seahorse, although the modern animal’s scientific name was inspired by the mythological figure.