Manatees and Dugong

Manatees and Dugong

• Sirenians (order Sirenia) include the manatees and dugong

• Sirenians, also known as sea cows, have a pair of front flippers, but no rear limbs

• Swim with up-and-down strokes of their paddle- (manatee) or V- (dugong) shaped tails

• Closest land relative is the elephant!

Manatees

The Florida Manatee

Dugong

Manatees and Dugong

• Sirenians are the only herbivorous marine mammals; feed on aquatic plants and algae

• Some species live in fresh and/or brackish water

• Inhabit temperate or subtropical waters• Severely threatened by motor boat collisions,

harmful algal blooms, pollution, and severe winters

Stellar’s Sea Cow (the sirenian you’ll never see)

• The Stellar Sea Cow was a large, herbivorous marine mammal formerly abundant in the North Pacific

• Described by naturalist Wilheim Stellar in 1741; hunted to extinction within 27 years of discovery!– 8 meters long– Fed on kelp– Did otter hunting

play a role?