Welcome to the A to Z Eco-Explorer, a series where we explore one environmental subject corresponding to each letter of the alphabet. In today’s article, we take a look at the Dugong, also known by its scientific name as Dugong dugon. Keep reading to learn about this unique and enchanting species.
—
The dugong is a member of the scientific order ‘Sirenia’ along with the three living types of manatees: the West Indian, the Amazonian, and the West African manatees. Another member of this group was the now extinct Steller’s Sea Cow.
The West Indian and West African manatees live in the Atlantic Ocean and freshwater rivers connecting to it. The Amazonian manatee lives only in the rivers that twist through the Amazon Rainforest in South America.
The dugong is unique in two ways from manatees. 1) It only lives in the ocean and not in freshwater rivers like its relatives. 2) It only lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, rather than the Atlantic.
At first glance, dugongs look very similar to whales and dolphins. Their “peduncle” or tail region looks very close to that of a bottlenose dolphin. However, dugongs and manatees are actually more closely related to elephants than they are to the Delphinidae family of oceanic dolphins. That may be hard to believe after seeing one!
Like manatees, dugongs are herbivorous, meaning that they only eat “greens” or plants. Dugongs live in seagrass beds in shallow, close-to-shore areas of the ocean. Each day, an adult dugong can eat up to 30 kilograms of seagrass.
Seagrass beds are threatened from pollution like plastic and chemicals, and also from coastal development to make boat docks and other human activities. As the dugong’s only food source, it is important that seagrass beds are protected.
To tell how old a dugong is, scientist’s look at their tusks. All mature males and some aged females have tusks. Just like trees, their tusks grow rings or layers that mark how a dugong grows and ages.
Scientists have estimated that dugongs can live up to 70 years in the wild.
Like manatees, dugongs are slow moving animals. Their average speed is around only 10 kilometers-per-hour (6 miles per hour). Living in shallow waters and moving slowly means that they are vulnerable to boat strikes. Boat strikes can be very severe and many manatees and dugongs observed by researchers sadly have visible scars from boat strikes.
Moving slowly also means that dugongs are easy to hunt. These animals are still hunted for meat, and for their bones to be used in jewelry across Asia. The Steller’s Sea Cow was hunted to extinction in the 1700s and the dugong now faces similar pressures, currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Check this out next: A for Amazon Pink River Dolphin: 6 Fascinating Facts About This Endangered Species
Share this article with your friends
