What is the status of a human-mermaid offspring?

Bechorot 8a discusses a species called dolfinim, which, in Rashi's understanding, are merpeople and can bear viable offspring with humans.

Let's suppose that merpeople actually exist as Rashi describes them.

1. As per Vayikra 20:15, bestiality is a capital crime. Would a union between a human and a merperson be included in this prohibition, or would it be permissible?
2. Regardless of permissibility, suppose the human and merperson bore a weird fish-human-human crossbreed. Halachically, would this theoretical offspring be considered human, merperson, both, or neither?
3. Granted that, as per Kilayim 8:6, the normal rules of crossing don't always hold when one of the two species is human, we do see in Chullin 79a.2-4 that two crossbreeds of the same two species can be treated differently depending on which parent is which crossed species. Does this extend to our situation – that is, is there a difference between a male human copulating with a mermaid versus a female human mating with a merman?

^{(Possibly relevant: Rashi on Sanhedrin 58a.8; and Eruvin 18b.10-12 regarding Adam bearing demon offspring.)}

^{Adapted and updated from my question and answer from MY.}

posted almost 4 years ago

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DonielF‭

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