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Oct 4, 2019 · Dugongs are strict herbivores that feed on seagrass, especially the Hydrocharitaceae and Potamogetonaceae family of seagrasses. They prefer seagrasses that are low in fiber content, high in nitrogen, and easily digestible. Their intestines are long and suitable for digesting seagrass, and their metabolism rate is low.
Dugongs can remain underwater for 3 to 12 minutes while feeding and travelling. They can eat up to 40 kilograms of seagrasses per day. Dugongs are seagrass community specialists and their range is broadly coincident with the distribution of seagrasses in the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-West Pacific.
In the Great Barrier Reef, dugongs feed on low-fiber high-nitrogen seagrass such as Halophila and Halodule, [18] to maximize nutrient intake instead of bulk eating. Seagrasses of a lower seral are preferred, where the area has not fully vegetated.
Jul 14, 2023 · What do dugongs eat? Dugongs are herbivores and primarily feed on seagrass. They graze on dense underwater meadows of seagrass, using their specially adapted lips to rip the grass from the seabed.
Dugongs feed on a wide variety of sea grass species, and will occasionally eat algae and jellyfish. Populations in different locations will feed on different species of sea grass. Dugong and Human Interaction. Historically, dugongs and manatees have made an easy target for hunters, as they are relatively slow moving.
What do Dugongs eat? Seagrass meadows are a major food source for a number of grazing animals (including Dugongs) and are considered very productive pastures of the sea. An adult dugong eats about 28 to 40 kilograms (wet weight) a day.
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Dugongs are primarily herbivorous, grazing on up to 30kg of seagrass a day. They eat both day and night, locating their food with the help of coarse, sensitive bristles on their upper lip. These large creatures are found in warm water around coastlines, both north and south of the equator.
