Here's What to Know About Adam Levine's Giant Mermaid Back Tattoo

"40 is just a number, but it looks damn good on you," Behati Prinsloo, a Victoria's Secret model, wrote alongside a photo of the couple getting hot and heavy on the beach. "I wake up every morning more in love with you....happy birthday to my WHOLE LIFE. Youre so cool youre so cool youre so cool."

View this post on Instagram 40 is just a number, but it looks damn good on you . I wake up every morning more in love with you....happy birthday to my WHOLE LIFE. Youre so cool youre so cool youre so cool @adamlevine A post shared by Behati Prinsloo Levine (@behatiprinsloo) on Mar 22, 2019 at 10:04am PDT

Even among the many, many tattoos that Levine sports, one sticks out in the photo with Prinsloo: the image of another woman on his back. The large tattoo right in the center of his chest depicts a mermaid holding, yes, a skull.

And it's not just any mermaid. As Mashable pointed out in its analysis of the tattoo-which Levine had finished in 2016-it's a winged mermaid dominating his back. Mermaids are often symbols of seduction, luring in sailors and the like, and it's fair to say that Maroon 5's frontman is consumed with seduction. Maybe the mermaid's skull is a souvenir she kept from a paramour?

View this post on Instagram If you ever want a tattoo and you don't get it from @bryanrandolph ...you're nuts. He's the DUDE. A post shared by Adam Levine (@adamlevine) on Nov 15, 2015 at 8:00pm PST

It appears that in getting the ink, Levine covered up his old "Frankie Girl" tattoo honoring his late dog. As he shared on Instagram, the singer spent six months to get the piece finished. It was done by tattoo artist Bryan Randolph who is, in Levine's words, "the DUDE."

View this post on Instagram 6 months in the making. Thanks @bryanrandolph for absolutely blowing my mind with this one! Woooo hooooo!!!! A post shared by Adam Levine (@adamlevine) on Feb 22, 2016 at 4:05pm PST