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Growing up to 3 metres long and weighing over 400kg, Dugongs are fluke-tailed relatives of the manatee. They swim at a gentle pace of 10km/hr, by using their tail in a whale-like manner and their front-flippers like dolphins. #
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The dugong (/ ˈ d (j) uː ɡ ɒ ŋ /; Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal.It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
Located just behind the head is a pair of flippers, one on each side of the body. Some dugongs have short tusks on their face. The dugong can measure up to 3 metres (9.8 feet). The average weight for dugongs is 420kg (926lb). Sexual dimorphism is present in this species as females are larger than males. Diet. The dugong is an omnivore.
- Anatomy and Morphology
- Distribution and Habitat
- Ecology and Life History
- Importance to Humans
- Conservation
The dugong's body is large with a cylindrical shape that tapers at both ends. It has thick, smooth skin that is a pale cream colour at birth, but darkens dorsally and laterally to brownish-to-dark-grey with age. The colour of a dugong can change due to the growth of algae on the skin. The body is sparsely covered in short hair, a common feature amo...
Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters from the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa, along an estimated 140,000 kilometres (86,992 mi) of coastline between 26° and 27° degrees to the north and south of the equator. Their historic range is believed to correspond to that of seagrasses from the Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae ...
Dugongs are long lived, and the oldest recorded specimen reached age 73. They have few natural predators, although animals such as crocodiles, killer whales, and sharks pose a threat to the young, and a dugong has also been recorded to have died from trauma after being impaled by a stingray barb. A large number of infections and parasitic diseases ...
Dugongs have historically provided easy targets for hunters, who killed them for their meat, oil, skin, and bones. As the anthropologist A. Asbjørn Jøn has noted, they are often considered as the inspiration for mermaids, and people around the world developed cultures around dugong hunting. In some areas it remains an animal of great significance, ...
Dugong numbers have decreased in recent times. For a population to remain stable, 95 per cent of adults must survive the span of one year. The estimated percentage of females humans can kill without depleting the population is 1–2%. This number is reduced in areas where calving is minimal due to food shortages. Even in the best conditions a populat...
- Dugongs Are Also Called Sea Cows. Dugongs have very muscular cleft upper lips that stick out over their mouths. These bristled and ultra-sensitive snouts are very strong and allow dugongs to root around the ocean floor and grab seagrass.
- They are Closely Related to Elephants. There were once other Dugongidae species like dugongs in the oceans, like the Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas).
- You Can Guess a Dugong’s Age by Looking at the Rings on Its Tusks. The tusks of a dugong are actually just two elongated front teeth. These stick out from their mouths and have sharp, angled edges.
- Dugongs Can Live for a Very Long Time. When dugong babies are born, they are only around 3 or 4 feet long and weigh 44 to 77 pounds. That may not seem all that small, but a fully grown dugong can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds!
32. They also feature paddle-like flippers and an unusual head shape. 33. Dugongs don’t have fins, which separate them from their water friends. 34. Dugongs like to stay in shallow warm water. 35. There are around 80,000 dugongs in Australian waters. 36.
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Nov 15, 2024 · Dugongs range in length from about 2.2 to 3.4 metres (7 to 11 feet) and weigh 230 to 420 kg (500 to 925 pounds). As with whales and dolphins, the dugong has a tapered body that ends in a deeply notched tail, or fluke. The forelimbs are rounded flippers lacking nails; there are no hind limbs nor any discernible neck. The snout is broad and bristled.
