This legend has become very popular among fishermen, residents and visitors of Coatepeque Lake.

One day, a rich man and owner of a beautiful mansion located on the shores of Coatepeque Lake went to take a ride in a canoe; when he was near of the island, a groundwater flow dragged him and took him to the of the goddess of freshwater domain.

A few months later, the rich man appeared to his servants and gave his mansion to them. They were perplexed because his knees had widened both that seemed a couple of soccer balls, like his lips and resembled a marine creature rather than a human being.

"Tabas" is a word used in El Salvador with the meaning "knees", so "El Tabudo" means "man of big knees".

"El Tabudo" is as a kind of submarine creature that appears to be a humble fisherman to win the confidence of his victims, taking then to the middle of the lake; "El Tabudo" transforms men into big colorful fishes and women into freshwater sirens.