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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.
Family Trichechidae includes three species: West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus), African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis), and Amazonian manatees (Trichechus inunguis). There is only one extant member of family Dugongidae, dugongs (Dugong dugon).
Dugongs are polyandrous, which means that one female has an exclusive relationship with two or more males. Dugongs may breed at any time of year. Males of this species are in constant search of receptive females.
The dugong has two incisors (tusks) which grow posteriorly until puberty, after which they first erupt in males. The female's tusks continue to grow posteriorly, often not externally evident, but sometimes erupting later in life after reaching the base of the premaxilla (Marsh 1989).
- Mammalia
- Sirenia
- Animalia
- Chordata
6 days ago · dugong, (Dugong dugon), marine mammal that inhabits the warm coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, feeds on seagrasses, and is similar to the manatee.
Dugongs belong to the order Sirenia, so named for the mammary glands akin to human breasts and their nursing behavior. Because of this, some sailors call dugongs mermaids or sirens, from which the name was created.
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May 27, 2024 · Its herbivorous lifestyle and moderate temperament have earned it the nickname of the sea cow or the sea pig. Though not yet endangered, the dugong may be vulnerable to human activity and coastal development. Dugongs were mistaken for the Greek mythological figures, the sirens, by European sailors.
