Dugong

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Dugong images (Dugong dugon) - stock photos, illustrations & facts of the only surviving herbivorous marine mammal family of Dugongidae

Conservation status | Vulnerable
Scientific classification | Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Mammalia > Order: Sirenia > Family: Dugongidae > Subfamily: Dugonginae > Genus: Dugong > Species: D. dugon
Binomial name | Dugong dugon

The dugong, Dugong dugon, is the most widely distributed species of sea cow, with populations in the western Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, East Africa, the Persian Gulf, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. The largest population, around 85,000, can be found in Australia.

In the family Dugongidae, the dugong is in the same order Sirenia as the manatee (family: Trichechidae). The dugong is smaller than the manatee about 2.7 meters in length (9 ft) when fully grown and has a fluked, whale-like tail, as opposed to the rounded tail of the manatee. It weighs on average 275 kg (600 lbs), but some individuals have been known to reach 3.3 meters (11 ft) and a weight of 400 kg (880 lbs). The dugong spends its entire life in the sea.

Young dugongs are a cream color, which turns to gray as they age. They have tough, thick skin, which is smooth, unlike the wrinkled skin of manatees. They propel themselves with their tail, and use their 35-35 cm long fins for steering and for stabilizing themselves on the muddy sea floor. Dugongs make a whistling sound when frightened, and calves are known to bleat underwater.

Dugongs flourish in warm tropical waters where seagrass is abundant. They forage on the sea bottom, at depths of 1 to 5 meters, and uproot whole plants with their long, flexible snouts, leaving a trail in the mud. Dugongs must surface every minute or two to breathe through the valved nostrils at the top of their snouts. Unlike dolphins and whales, dugongs cannot hold their breath for long, particularly when active.

Dugongs begin reproducing at about 9-10 years of age. Their gestation period runs about a year, and they nurse their young from the two teats located at the base of their flippers for 14-18 months. They typically give birth to just one calf. Under optimum conditions, a dugong may live up to 70 years.

Threats to the dugong include hunting and collisions with boats, but the main danger is degradation of habitat, which is often caused by eutrophication, generally resulting from agricultural runoff. They also have natural predators, such as sharks and crocodiles.

A relative of the dugong, though much larger, was the Steller's sea cow, which became extinct in the late 1700's due to over hunting.

The dugong is said to be the origin of the mermaid myth. The name of their order, Sirenia, comes from the ancient Greek myth of the Sirens (or Seirenes), who were part bird, part woman, and who lured sailors to their doom with their bewitching songs.
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