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May 27, 2024 · The earliest animal that had a dugong-like appearance is believed to be the Potamosiren, which lived around 15 million years ago. Appearance and Behavior. Dugongs are insulated with layers of fat and can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. ©vkilikov/Shutterstock.com. Dugongs are large, elongated animals with a down-turned snout and thick brown or gray skin.
- Female
- April 22, 1960
6 days ago · Accessed 18 November 2024. Dugong, marine mammal that inhabits the warm coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, feeds on seagrasses, and is similar to the American manatee.
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.
The dugong is a herbivorous marine mammal sometimes referred to as a ‘sea cow’, and one of four living species that belongs to the order Sirenia. They graze on underwater grasses and have an adorable, plump appearance, with a dolphin tail, round head and downward snout. Dugong Facts Overview.
- Shallow warm coastal waters
- Mainly in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
- Up to 70 years
- 8 to 10 feet
Apr 5, 2024 · If an elephant, a hippopotamus, a dolphin, and a manatee magically merged into one creature, it might look like a dugong. In fact, dugongs (Dugong dugon) are cousins of manatees and share a similar appearance, but for their dolphin fluke-like tail, shorter fins, and long, more prehistoric-looking face. Both are related to elephants, but not hippos.
The dugong was first classified by Müller in 1776 as Trichechus dugon (PD 2008a), a member of the manatee genus previously defined by Linnaeus (PD 2008b). It was later assigned as the type species of Dugong by Lacépède (PD 2008c) and further classified within its own family by Gray (PD 2008d), and subfamily by Simpson (PD 2008e).
Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's.
