The Fiji mermaid was not a real mermaid, but a cleverly crafted hoax that gained popularity in the 1800s. These fabricated creatures typically consisted of the torso and head of a monkey or other animal sewn onto the tail of a fish. The most famous exhibitor of Fiji mermaids was P.T. Barnum, who displayed one at his American Museum in New York City. While these sideshow attractions fooled some people into believing in mythical mermaids, they were ultimately exposed as elaborate fakes.