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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.
The dugong is an aquatic mammal with thick, tough, and smooth skin. The skin color of newborn dugongs is pale cream, darkening as they age, becoming deep slate gray on the sides and dorsum. The body of the dugong is sparsely covered with hair, and the muzzle exhibits bristles. The upper lip is cleft and muscular, hanging over the mouth, which ...
15. They can hold their breath for over 10mins. Dugong’s need to breath in oxygen from the surface, and then they are able to hold their breaths for up to 11mins at a time and can dive as deep as 33 meters to feed on the sea bed. 16. They may have been the inspiration for mermaid legends.
- Shallow warm coastal waters
- Mainly in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Up to 70 years
- 8 to 10 feet
- 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!
Dugongs tend to live alone or in pairs. Occasionally they can be observed in larger herds reaching even 100 dugongs. The weight of a dugong is in the order of hundreds of kilograms and it can reach 900 kg. The tail of a dugong is similar to the tail of a dolphin. You can see how its tail looks like in the picture below:
May 27, 2024 · The dugong is one of four living members of the order Sirenia — the others being three species of manatees — and the only living member of the family Dugongidae. A second member of the family, Steller’s sea cow, was driven to extinction in the 18th century due to overhunting. Nineteen total genera from the family are known from the fossil ...
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May 9, 2018 · Dugong Characteristics. The Dugongs share similar characteristics with the elephants and other aquatic mammals with a gray skin color that is laden with rough hairs. The dugong’s skin is also extremely tough and in some places they are wrinkly like the skin of an elephant. They are smoothing over on the underneath.
