Matsya is an avatar of Vishnu who appears a half fish/half man; he saves the world from cosmic deluge with the help of a boat made from knowledge, on which he rescues all living beings.
Matsya (Sanskrit: , lit. fish) is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Matsya may be depicted as a giant fish or anthropomorphically with a human torso connected to the rear half of a fish. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man Manu from a great deluge. The fish tells him about the impending fiery end of kalpa accompanied with the pralaya as a deluge. The fish once again has a horn, but the gods gift a ship to Manu. Manu carries all types of living creatures and plant seeds to produce food for everyone after the deluge is over. 
