^
Unless accompanied by other weird comments and/or innuendo, I would take something like "You're a hot mermaid and I'm into them" as a compliment too.
Someone simply commenting and liking my stuff?
No problem.

Someone telling every mer they are looking for a girlfriend?
Awkward, but nothing I would get worked up over.

I can understand though that people get overly sensitive once they have experienced a real creeper.
That kind of sticks, and every time you read something similar, it reminds you of it.