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Like all modern sirenians, the dugong has a fusiform body with no dorsal fin or hind limbs. The forelimbs or flippers are paddle-like. The dugong is easily distinguishable from the manatees by its fluked, dolphin-like tail; moreover, it possesses a unique skull and teeth.
Manatees and dugongs – collectively known as seacows – are another example. Christopher Columbus saw manatees on his first voyage to the Americas and supposed that they might be mermaids. ‘Not half as beautiful as they are painted’ was his verdict on their grey, snub-nosed bodies.
Jul 21, 2018 · The first depiction of a half human-half fish creature is thought to be of the Babylonian water god Oannes as far back as 5000 BCE. The ancient Greek sirens, which originally were described with human heads on birds’ bodies, have also often been portrayed with fishtails.
Yet it’s a common enough mistake that the scientific name for manatees and dugongs is Sirenia, a name reminiscent of mythical mermaids. Even today there are false mermaid sightings.
Jan 4, 2021 · Dugongs are exclusively marine, while manatees inhabit both marine and freshwater systems. They live in swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine water. Sirenians have no dorsal fin. No need, really, when you can navigate calm freshwaters instead of strong ocean waves.
Dugongs are exclusively marine, but manatees inhabit both marine and freshwater systems. Sirenian populations are easily depleted by activities of people, often falling victim to hunting, drowning in nets, collisions with boats, and habitat degradation.
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Is a dugong a sirenian?
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Do dugongs have mermaids?
The extant Sirenia comprise two distinct families: Dugongidae (the dugong and the now extinct Steller's sea cow) and Trichechidae (manatees, namely the Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and West African manatee) with a total of four species. [2]
