Dugong [Dugong]
Description
The genus Dugong is the only extant genus in the family Dugongidae and is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It contains a single species, the Dugong (Dugong dugon), which is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal. Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. They have a fusiform body, fluked tail similar to that of a whale, paddle-like forelimbs, and no hind limbs. The snout is downturned, an adaptation for feeding on seagrass in benthic environments. Dugongs are social animals, living in groups called herds, and their populations are threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and bycatch.
Species
