The first two facts in this list of fifteen bits of trivia about The Little Mermaid have to do with the color palette of the film:
1) "The color is intentionally muted and overcast in the opening scene on Eric's ship. The directors wanted to save the bright colors for the sea." It's a trick that's been used in variation since The Wizard of Oz, and it never fails.
2) "The blue-green hue of Ariel's tail was specifically mixed for the movie by the Disney paint lab. They named it 'Ariel.'" Naturally.
Read the remaining thirteen facts about The Little Mermaid here.
Image: Disney.com