In mythology, Neptune (Poseidon in Greece) has a son named Triton. This was the name given to the Sea King in Disney's "The Little Mermaid", which would be released two years after this episode first aired.
In this episode, Pam Dawber plays the title role. Her "Mork and Mindy" costar, Robin Williams, played the title role in the pilot episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince".
In most adaptations of the story, the Princess serves as a neutral minor character and the Sea Witch serves as the antagonist. In this episode, the roles are reversed: the Princess is the antagonist, and the Sea Witch is the neutral minor character.
Karen Black appeared in "Family Plot" with Bruce Dern. Dern appeared in the film "Smile", which inspired Howard Ashman's musical of the same name and whose cast included Jodi Benson, who voiced the title character in Disney's "The Little Mermaid".