Nereida

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “Nērēḯs (Νηρηῐ̈́ς) Nērêis (Νηρῇς).” The Nereids are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They were distinct from the mermaid-like Sirens. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting dangerous storms. This name is also linked to “Nereus,” from the Ancient Greek “Nēreús (Νηρεύς),” meaning “water, liquid, aquatic.” Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia, a Titan who, with Doris fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea. The largest Mediterranean underwater sea cave yet found, lying northwest of Sardinia, was named by the discoverers, the Nereo Cave, in honor of this mythological figure.