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77-499: Dugong † Hydrodamalis And see text Dugongidae is a family in the order of Sirenia . The family has one surviving species , the dugong ( Dugong dugon ), one recently extinct species, Steller's sea cow ( Hydrodamalis gigas ), and a number of extinct genera known from fossil records. Dugongidae's body weight ranges from 217 to 307 kg for juveniles, 334 to 424 kg for subadults, and 435 to 568.5 kg for adults. Oral temperatures for individual dugongs

154-581: A monophyletic group with hyraxes and the aardvark , one of the earliest offshoots of eutherians . The fossil record shows sirenians appearing in the Eocene , where they most likely lived in the Tethys Ocean . The two extant families of sirenians are thought to have diverged in the mid-Eocene, after which the dugongs and their closest relative, the Steller's sea cow , split off from a common ancestor in

231-415: A certain range their entire lives. Large numbers often move together from one area to another. It is thought that these movements are caused by changes in seagrass availability. Their memory allows them to return to specific points after long travels. Dugong movements mostly occur within a localized area of seagrass beds, and animals in the same region show individualistic patterns of movement. Daily movement

308-466: A cow and calf have been reported in 2017, indicating a possible breeding had occurred in these waters. A single individual was recorded at Amami Ōshima , at the northernmost edge of the dugong's historic range, more than 40 years after the last previous recorded sighting. A vagrant strayed into a port near Ushibuka, Kumamoto, and died due to poor health. Historically, the Yaeyama Islands held

385-448: A depth of around 10 m (33 ft), although in areas where the continental shelf remains shallow dugongs have been known to travel more than ten kilometres (6 mi) from the shore, descending to as far as 37 metres (121 ft), where deepwater seagrasses such as Halophila spinulosa are found. Special habitats are used for different activities. It has been observed that shallow waters are used as sites for calving, minimizing

462-532: A dugong can change due to the growth of algae on the skin. The body is sparsely covered in short hair, a common feature among sirenians which may allow for tactile interpretation of their environment. These hairs are most developed around the mouth, which has a large horseshoe-shaped upper lip forming a highly mobile muzzle. This muscular upper lip aids the dugong in foraging . The dugong's tail flukes and flippers are similar to those of dolphins . These flukes are raised up and down in long strokes to move

539-406: A few times during their lives and invest considerable parental care in their young. The time between births is unclear, with estimates ranging from 2.4 to 7 years. Mating behaviour varies between populations located in different areas. In some populations, males will establish a territory that females in estrus will visit. In these areas, a male will try to impress the females while defending

616-564: A large concentration of dugongs, with more than 300 individuals. On the Aragusuku Islands , large quantities of skulls are preserved at a utaki that outsiders are strictly forbidden to enter. Dugong populations in these areas were reduced by historical hunts as payments to the Ryukyu Kingdom , before being wiped out because of large-scale illegal hunting and fishing using destructive methods such as dynamite fishing after

693-511: A large-scale interview survey conducted across four southern Chinese maritime provinces ( Hainan , Guangxi , Guangdong , and Fujian ) in the summer of 2019. In Vietnam, dugongs have been restricted mostly to the provinces of Kiên Giang and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu , including Phu Quoc Island and Con Dao Island , which hosted large populations in the past. Con Dao is now the only site in Vietnam where dugongs are regularly seen, protected within

770-720: A maximum depth of 39 metres (128 ft); they spend most of their lives no deeper than 10 metres (33 ft). Communication between individuals is through chirps, whistles, barks, and other sounds that echo underwater. Different sounds have been observed with different amplitudes and frequencies, implying different purposes. Visual communication is limited due to poor eyesight and is mainly used for activities such as lekking for courtship purposes. Mothers and calves are in almost constant physical contact, and calves have been known to reach out and touch their mothers with their flippers for reassurance. Dugongs are semi-nomadic , often traveling long distances in search of food, but staying within

847-800: A small population, with more scattered throughout the Malay Archipelago . All the islands of the Philippines once provided habitats for sizeable herds of dugongs. They were common until the 1970s when their numbers declined sharply due to accidental drownings in fishing gear and habitat destruction of seagrass meadows. Today, only isolated populations survive, most notably in the waters of the Calamian Islands in Palawan , Isabela in Luzon , Guimaras , and Mindanao . The dugong became

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924-431: A unique skull and teeth. Its snout is sharply downturned, an adaptation for feeding in benthic seagrass communities. The molar teeth are simple and peg-like, unlike the more elaborate molar dentition of manatees. The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil . Traditional hunting still has great cultural significance in several countries in its modern range, particularly northern Australia and

1001-427: Is 2.0.3.3 3.1.3.3 , meaning they have two incisors, three premolars , and three molars on each side of their upper jaw, and three incisors, one canine, three premolars, and three molars on each side of their lower jaw. Like other sirenians, the dugong experiences pachyostosis , a condition in which the ribs and other long bones are unusually solid and contain little or no marrow . These heavy bones, which are among

1078-419: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dugong The dugong ( / ˈ d ( j ) uː ɡ ɒ ŋ / ; Dugong dugon ) is a marine mammal . It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia , which also includes three species of manatees . It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae ; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow ( Hydrodamalis gigas ),

1155-454: Is affected by the tides. In areas where there is a large tidal range, dugongs travel with the tide to access shallower feeding areas. In Moreton Bay, dugongs often travel between foraging grounds inside the bay and warmer oceanic waters. At higher latitudes dugongs make seasonal travels to reach warmer water during the winter. Occasionally individual dugongs make long-distance travels over many days and can travel over deep ocean waters. One animal

1232-455: Is by the eruption of tusks in the male since tusks erupt in males when testosterone levels reach a high enough level. The age when a female first gives birth is disputed, with some studies placing the age between ten and seventeen years, while others place it as early as six years. There is evidence that male dugongs lose fertility at older ages. Despite the longevity of the dugong, which may live for 50 years or more, females give birth only

1309-471: Is considered a luxury food and is also believed to have aphrodisiac properties. They are actively hunted in these regions, in some places to near-extinction. In Palau , dugongs were traditionally hunted with heavy spears from canoes. Although it is illegal and there is widespread disapproval of killing dugongs, poaching remains a major problem. Dugongs are also widely hunted in Papua New Guinea ,

1386-432: Is determined from 24° to 34.2 °C. Heart rate readings are from 40 to 96 bpm and vary between individual dugongs. Respiration rate during the out-of-water phase is from 1 to 33. The genera Eosiren , Eotheroides , and Prototherium have been assigned to Halitheriinae in the past, but recent cladistic analysis recovers these genera as basal to the clade formed by Trichechidae and Dugongidae. Moreover, Halitheriinae

1463-470: Is located on the limb of an animal. Hindlimbs are present in a large number of quadrupeds. Though it is a posterior limb, it can cause lameness in some animals. The way of walking through hindlimbs are called bipedalism . Hindlimbs are helpful in many ways, some examples are: Frogs can easily adapt at the surroundings using hindlimbs. The main reason is it can jump high to easily escape to its predator and also to catch prey. It can perform some tricks using

1540-483: Is paraphyletic with respect to Dugonginae and Hydrodamalinae, and further use of the name should be discontinued because the type genus is based on a non-diagnostic tooth. Orycteropodidae [REDACTED] Macroscelididae [REDACTED] Chrysochloridae [REDACTED] Tenrecidae [REDACTED] Procaviidae [REDACTED] Elephantidae [REDACTED] Dugongidae [REDACTED] Trichechidae [REDACTED] This Afrotheria -related article

1617-630: Is restricted to six provinces along the Andaman Sea , and very few dugongs are present in the Gulf of Thailand . The Gulf of Thailand was historically home to a large number of animals, but none have been sighted in the west of the gulf in recent years, and the remaining population in the east is thought to be very small and possibly declining. Dugongs are believed to exist in the Straits of Johor in very small numbers. The waters around Borneo support

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1694-466: The Côn Đảo National Park . Nonetheless, dangerously low levels of attention to the conservation of marine organisms in Vietnam and Cambodia may result in increased intentional or unintentional catches, and illegal trade is a potential danger for local dugongs. On Phu Quoc, the first 'Dugong Festival' was held in 2014, aiming to raise awareness of these issues. In Thailand, the present distribution of dugongs

1771-664: The Mafia Island Marine Park where a hunt was intended by fishermen but failed in 2009. In the Seychelles , dugongs had been regarded as extinct in the 18th century until a small number was discovered around the Aldabra Atoll . This population may belong to a different group than that distributed among the inner isles. Dugongs once thrived among the Chagos Archipelago and Sea Cow Island

1848-775: The Miocene . The Steller's sea cow became extinct in the 18th century. No fossils exist of other members of the Dugongidae. Molecular studies have been made on dugong populations using mitochondrial DNA . The results have suggested that the population of Southeast Asia is distinct from the others. Australia has two distinct maternal lineages, one of which also contains the dugongs from Africa and Arabia. Limited genetic mixing has taken place between those in Southeast Asia and those in Australia, mostly around Timor . One of

1925-633: The Oligocene and Miocene but subsequently declined as a result of climatic cooling, oceanographic changes, and human interference. The word "dugong" derives from the Visayan (probably Cebuano ) dugung . The name was first adopted and popularized by the French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon , as " dugon " in Histoire Naturelle (1765), after descriptions of

2002-722: The Solomon Islands and New Caledonia , stretching to an easternmost population in Vanuatu . A highly isolated population lives around the islands of Palau . A single dugong lives at Cocos (Keeling) Islands although the animal is thought to be a vagrant. Today, possibly the smallest and northernmost population of dugongs exists around the Ryukyu islands, and a population formerly existed off Taiwan. An endangered population of 50 or fewer dugongs, possibly as few as three individuals, survives around Okinawa . New sightings of

2079-462: The Solomon Islands , Vanuatu , and New Caledonia ; where their meat and ornaments made from bones and tusks are highly prized in feasts and traditional rituals. However, hunting dugongs is considered taboo in some areas of Vanuatu. Dugong meat and oil have traditionally been some of the most valuable foods of Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders . Some Aboriginals regard dugongs as part of their Aboriginality. Hind limb It

2156-419: The anus . The lungs in a dugong are very long, extending almost as far as the kidneys , which are also highly elongated to cope with the saltwater environment. If the dugong is wounded, its blood will clot rapidly. The skull of a dugong is unique. The skull is enlarged with a sharply down-turned premaxilla , which is stronger in males. The spine has between 57 and 60 vertebrae . Unlike in manatees,

2233-520: The equator . Their historic range is believed to correspond to that of seagrasses from the Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae families. The full size of the former range is unknown, although it is believed that the current populations represent the historical limits of the range, which is highly fractured. Their distributions during warmer periods of Holocene might have been broader than today. Today populations of dugongs are found in

2310-756: The Kimberley , Western Australia . Dugong dugon is the only extant species of the family Dugongidae , and one of only four extant species of the Sirenia order, the others forming the manatee family. It was first classified by Müller in 1776 as Trichechus dugon , a member of the manatee genus previously defined by Linnaeus . It was later assigned as the type species of Dugong by Lacépède and further classified within its own family by Gray and subfamily by Simpson . Dugongs and other sirenians are not closely related to other marine mammals , being more related to elephants . Dugongs and elephants share

2387-763: The Pacific Islands. The dugong's current distribution is fragmented, and many populations are believed to be close to extinction. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products. Despite being legally protected in many countries, the main causes of population decline remain anthropogenic and include fishing-related fatalities, habitat degradation, and hunting. With its long lifespan of 70 years or more and slow rate of reproduction,

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2464-587: The Philippines, and Vietnam. Further disappearances are likely. Dugongs are generally found in warm waters around the coast with large numbers concentrated in wide and shallow protected bays. The dugong is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee utilise fresh water to some degree. Nonetheless, they can tolerate the brackish waters found in coastal wetlands, and large numbers are also found in wide and shallow mangrove channels and around leeward sides of large inshore islands, where seagrass beds are common. They are usually located at

2541-497: The Philippines, some parts of Sabah (Malaysia), and northern Sulawesi and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia). Dugongs are predominantly not traditionally hunted for food in these regions and they remained plentiful until around the 1970s. Conversely, dugong "tears" are considered aphrodisiacs in other parts of Indonesia , Singapore , Malaysia , Brunei , Thailand , Vietnam , and Cambodia . Dugong meat

2618-614: The Second World War. Populations around Taiwan appear to be almost extinct, although remnant individuals may visit areas with rich seagrass beds such as Dongsha Atoll . Some of the last reported sightings were made in Kenting National Park in the 1950s and 60s. There had been occasional records of vagrants at the Northern Mariana Islands before 1985. It is unknown how much mixing there

2695-492: The animal forward and can be twisted to turn. The forelimbs are paddle-like flippers which aid in turning and slowing. The dugong lacks nails on its flippers, which are only 15% of a dugong's body length. The tail has deep notches. A dugong's brain weighs a maximum of 300 g (11 oz), about 0.1% of the animal's body weight. With very small eyes, dugongs have limited vision, but acute hearing within narrow sound thresholds. Their ears, which lack pinnae , are located on

2772-601: The animal from the island of Leyte in the Philippines . The name ultimately derives from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *duyuŋ. Despite common misconception , the term does not come from Malay duyung and it does not mean "lady of the sea" ( Mermaid ). Other common local names include "sea cow", "sea pig" and "sea camel". It is known as the balguja by the Wunambal people of the Mitchell Plateau area in

2849-527: The anthropologist A. Asbjørn Jøn has noted, they are often considered the inspiration for mermaids , and people around the world developed cultures around dugong hunting. In some areas, it remains an animal of great significance, and a growing ecotourism industry around dugongs has had an economic benefit in some countries. There is a 5,000-year-old wall painting of a dugong, apparently drawn by Neolithic peoples, in Tambun Cave , Ipoh , Malaysia. This

2926-498: The area from other males, a practice known as lekking . In other areas many males will attempt to mate with the same female, sometimes inflicting injuries to the female or each other. During this, the female will have copulated with multiple males, who will have fought to mount her from below. This greatly increases the chances of conception. Females give birth after a 13- to 15-month gestation , usually to just one calf. Birth occurs in very shallow water, with occasions known where

3003-521: The area has not fully vegetated. Only certain seagrass meadows are suitable for dugong consumption, due to the dugong's highly specialized diet. There is evidence that dugongs actively alter seagrass species compositions at local levels. Dugongs may search out deeper seagrass. Feeding trails have been observed as deep as 33 metres (108 ft), and dugongs have been seen feeding as deep as 37 metres (121 ft). Dugongs are relatively slow-moving, swimming at around 10 km/h (3 m/s). When moving along

3080-555: The coastal areas. As these materials may be mistaken as food by dugongs, these may lead to death due to plastic ingestion. Overpopulation and lack of education of all coastal fisherfolk in the Philippines regarding marine trash are harming the coastal environment not only in Palawan but also across the islands of the Philippines . The first documented sighting in Sarangani Bay occurred in July 2024. Populations also exist around

3157-415: The densest in the animal kingdom , may act as a ballast to help keep sirenians suspended slightly below the water's surface. An adult's length rarely exceeds 3 metres (10 ft). An individual this long is expected to weigh around 420 kilograms (930 lb). Weight in adults is typically more than 250 kilograms (550 lb) and less than 900 kilograms (1,980 lb). The largest individual recorded

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3234-479: The dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction. Dugongs are part of the Sirenia order of placental mammals which comprises modern "sea cows" ( manatees as well as dugongs) and their extinct relatives. Sirenia are the only extant herbivorous marine mammals and the only group of herbivorous mammals to have become completely aquatic. Sirenians are thought to have a 50-million-year-old fossil record (early Eocene -recent). They attained modest diversity during

3311-467: The dugong's teeth do not continually grow back via horizontal tooth replacement. The dugong has two incisors ( tusks ) which emerge in males during puberty. The female's tusks continue to grow without emerging during puberty, sometimes erupting later in life after reaching the base of the premaxilla . The number of growth layer groups in a tusk indicates the age of a dugong, and the cheek teeth move forward with age. The full dental formula of dugongs

3388-414: The first marine animal protected by Philippine law, with harsh penalties for harming them. Recently, the local marine trash problem in the archipelago remained unabated and became the biggest threat to the already dwindling population of Dugongs in the country. Litters of plastic waste (single-use sachets, plastic bottles , fast food to-go containers, etc.) and other non-biodegradable materials abound in

3465-493: The hindlimbs such as the somersault and hindersault. Frogs have 4 digits in fore limb while hindlimb have five digits. All digits are without nails. All birds walk using hindlimbs. They have the ability to dig in two opposite directions using the hindlimbs. They can easily find food that makes them adapt on their surroundings. A bird with a forelimb that is very primitive is the Archaeopteryx . It adapted by using it but it

3542-441: The inability of seagrass beds to support large populations. Gatherings of hundreds of dugongs sometimes happen, but they last only for a short time. Because they are shy and do not approach humans, little is known about dugong behavior. They can go six minutes without breathing (though about two and a half minutes is more typical), and have been known to rest on their tails to breathe with their heads above water. They can dive to

3619-668: The largest (about 120 individuals) occurs at Bazaruto Island , but they have become rare in historical habitats such as in Maputo Bay and on Inhaca Island . The Bazaruto Island population is possibly the last long-term viable population in East Africa, with only some of its core territory lying within protected waters. The East African population is genetically distinct from those of the Red Sea and those off Madagascar. In Tanzania , observations have recently increased around

3696-463: The late 1960s, herds of up to 500 dugongs were observed off the coast of East Africa and nearby islands. Current populations in this area are extremely small, numbering 50 and below, and it is thought likely they will become extinct. The eastern side of the Red Sea is home to large populations numbering in the hundreds, and similar populations are thought to exist on the western side. In the 1980s, it

3773-535: The lineages stretches from Moreton Bay to Western Australia , while the other only stretches from Moreton Bay to the Northern Territory . There is not yet sufficient genetic data to make clear boundaries between distinct groups. The dugong's body is large with a cylindrical shape that tapers at both ends. It has thick, smooth skin that is a pale cream colour at birth, but darkens dorsally and laterally to brownish-to-dark-grey with age. The colour of

3850-399: The misconception that the word "dugong" itself means "lady of the sea". A common belief found in the Philippines, Malaysia , Indonesia , and Thailand , is that dugongs were originally human or part-human (usually women), and that they cry when they are butchered or beached . Because of this, it is considered bad luck if a dugong is killed or accidentally dies in nets or fish corrals in

3927-562: The mothers were almost on the shore. As soon as the young is born the mother pushes it to the surface to take a breath. Newborns are already 1.2 metres (4 ft) long and weigh around 30 kilograms (65 lb). Once born, they stay close to their mothers, possibly to make swimming easier. The calf nurses for 14–18 months, although it begins to eat seagrasses soon after birth. A calf will only leave its mother once it has matured. Dugongs have historically provided easy targets for hunters, who killed them for their meat, oil, skin, and bones. As

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4004-738: The nearest population in India. Former populations in this area, centered on the Maldives and the Lakshadweep , are presumed to be extinct. A population exists in the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka , but it is seriously depleted. Recoveries of seagrass beds along former ranges of dugongs, such as the Chilika Lake have been confirmed in recent years, raising hopes for re-colorizations of

4081-498: The north of the Northern Territory , with a population of over 20,000 in the Gulf of Carpentaria alone. A population of over 25,000 exists in the Torres Strait such as off Thursday Island , although there is significant migration between the strait and the waters of New Guinea . The Great Barrier Reef provides important feeding areas for the species; this reef area houses a stable population of around 10,000, although

4158-709: The oldest recorded specimen reached age 73. They have few natural predators, although animals such as crocodiles, killer whales, and sharks pose a threat to the young, and a dugong has also been recorded to have died from trauma after being impaled by a stingray barb. A large number of infections and parasitic diseases affect dugongs. Detected pathogens include helminths , cryptosporidium , different types of bacterial infections, and other unidentified parasites. 30% of dugong deaths in Queensland since 1996 are thought to be because of disease. Although they are social animals , they are usually solitary or found in pairs due to

4235-489: The population concentration has shifted over time. Large bays facing north on the Queensland coast provide significant habitats for dugong, with the southernmost of these being Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay. Dugongs had been occasional visitors along the Gold Coast where a re-establishment of a local population through range expansions has started recently. The Persian Gulf has the second-largest dugong population in

4312-517: The rapidly growing, higher nutrient seagrasses that dugongs prefer. Dugongs may also prefer to feed on younger, less fibrous strands of seagrasses, and cycles of cultivation feeding at different seagrass meadows may provide them with a greater number of younger plants. Due to their poor eyesight, dugongs often use smell to locate edible plants. They also have a strong tactile sense and feel their surroundings with their long sensitive bristles. They will dig up an entire plant and then shake it to remove

4389-563: The risk of predation. Deep waters may provide a thermal refuge from cooler waters closer to the shore during winter. Australia is home to the largest population, stretching from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland . The population of Shark Bay is thought to be stable with over 10,000 dugongs. Smaller populations exist up the coast, including one in Ashmore Reef . Large numbers of dugongs live to

4466-400: The sand before eating it. They have been known to collect a pile of plants in one area before eating them. The flexible and muscular upper lip is used to dig out the plants. This leaves furrows in the sand in their path. A dugong reaches sexual maturity between the ages of eight and eighteen, older than in most other mammals. The way that females know how a male has reached sexual maturity

4543-430: The seabed to feed they walk on their pectoral fins. Dugong feeding may favor the subsequent growth of low-fibre, high-nitrogen seagrasses such as Halophilia and Halodule. Species such as Zosteria capricorni are more dominant in established seagrass beds, but grow slowly, while Halophilia and Halodule grow quickly in the open space left by dugong feeding. This behavior is known as cultivation grazing and favors

4620-409: The sides of their head. The nostrils are located on top of the head and can be closed using valves. Dugongs have two teats , one located behind each flipper. There are few differences between the sexes; the body structures are almost the same. A male's testes are not externally located, and the main difference between males and females is the location of the genital aperture to the umbilicus and

4697-713: The species. The population around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is known only from a few records, and although the population was large during British rule, it is now believed to be small and scattered. A small population existed along the southern coast of China , particularly the Gulf of Tonkin (Beibu Gulf), where efforts were made to protect it, including the establishment of a seagrass sanctuary for dugong and other endangered marine fauna ranging in Guangxi . Despite these efforts, numbers continued to decrease, and in 2007 it

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4774-464: The supply of their choice grasses decreases. In other southern areas of both western and eastern Australia, there is evidence that dugongs actively seek out large invertebrates. This does not apply to dugongs in tropical areas, in which fecal evidence indicates that invertebrates are not eaten. Most dugongs do not feed on lush areas, but where the seagrass is more sparse. Additional factors such as protein concentration and regenerative ability also affect

4851-487: The value of a seagrass bed. The chemical structure and composition of the seagrass are important, and the grass species most often eaten are low in fiber, high in nitrogen, and easily digestible. In the Great Barrier Reef, dugongs feed on low-fiber high-nitrogen seagrass such as Halophila and Halodule , to maximize nutrient intake instead of bulk eating. Seagrasses of a lower seral are preferred, where

4928-556: The water of the Mediterranean possibly until after the rise of civilizations along the inland sea . This population possibly shared ancestry with the Red Sea population, and the Mediterranean population had never been large due to geographical factors and climate changes . The Mediterranean is the region where the Dugongidae originated in the mid-late Eocene , along with Caribbean Sea . Dugongs are long-lived, and

5005-407: The waters of 37 countries and territories. Recorded numbers of dugongs are generally believed to be lower than actual numbers, due to a lack of accurate surveys. Despite this, the dugong population is thought to be shrinking, with a worldwide decline of 20 percent in the last 90 years. They have disappeared from the waters of Hong Kong , Mauritius , and Taiwan, as well as parts of Cambodia , Japan,

5082-447: The waters of large inshore islands and inter-reefal waters. The northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay are believed to be the dugong's contemporary stronghold. Like all modern sirenians, the dugong has a fusiform body with no dorsal fin or hind limbs . The forelimbs or flippers are paddle-like. The dugong is easily distinguishable from the manatees by its fluked, dolphin-like tail; moreover, it possesses

5159-565: The whole plant, including the roots, although when this is impossible they will feed on just the leaves. A wide variety of seagrass has been found in dugong stomach contents, and evidence exists they will eat algae when seagrass is scarce. Although almost completely herbivorous , they will occasionally eat invertebrates such as jellyfish , sea squirts , and shellfish . Dugongs in Moreton Bay, Australia, are omnivorous, feeding on invertebrates such as polychaetes or marine algae when

5236-528: The world, inhabiting most of the southern coast, and the current population is believed to range from 5,800 to 7,300. In the course of a study carried out in 1986 and 1999 on the Persian Gulf, the largest reported group sighting was made of more than 600 individuals to the west of Qatar . A 2017 study found a nearly 25% drop in population since 1950. Reasons for this drastic population loss include illegal poaching, oil spills , and net entanglement. In

5313-467: Was 4.06 metres (13 ft 4 in) long and weighed 1,016 kilograms (2,240 lb), and was found off the Saurashtra coast of west India . Females tend to be larger than males. Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters from the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa, along an estimated 140,000 kilometres (87,000 mi) of coastline between 26° and 27° to the north and south of

5390-475: Was between these populations historically. Some theorize that populations existed independently, for example, that the Okinawan population was isolated members derived from the migration of a Philippine subspecies. Others postulate that the populations formed part of a super-population where migration between Ryukyu , Taiwan , and the Philippines was common. It has been confirmed that dugongs once inhabited

5467-515: Was discovered by Lieutenant R.L. Rawlings in 1959 while on a routine patrol. Dugongs feature in Southeast Asian, especially Austronesian , folklore . In languages like Ilocano , Mapun , Yakan , Tausug , and Kadazan Dusun of the Philippines and Sabah , the name for dugongs is a synonym for "mermaid". In Malay , they are sometimes referred to as perempoen laut ("woman of the sea") or putri duyong ("dugong princess"), leading to

5544-459: Was estimated there could be as many as 4,000 dugongs in the Red Sea. Dugong populations in Madagascar are poorly studied, but due to widespread exploitation, it is thought they may have severely declined, with few surviving individuals. The resident population around Mayotte is thought to number just 10 individuals. In Mozambique , most of the remaining local populations are very small and

5621-544: Was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. The dugong is the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of some 40 countries and territories throughout the Indo-West Pacific . The dugong is largely dependent on seagrass communities for subsistence and is thus restricted to the coastal habitats that support seagrass meadows , with the largest dugong concentrations typically occurring in wide, shallow, protected areas such as bays , mangrove channels ,

5698-495: Was named after the species, although the species no longer occurs in the region. There are less than 250 individuals scattered throughout Indian waters. A highly isolated breeding population exists in the Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch , the only remaining population in western India. It is 1,500 kilometres (800 nautical miles) from the population in the Persian Gulf, and 1,700 kilometres (900 nmi) from

5775-435: Was not capable of long-distance flights, leading to its extinction. The fastest biped is the ostrich. It runs at 70 km/h. Bipedality in kangaroo rats are seen to be an agent of adaptation. Kangaroo rats are long jumpers that can jump up to 18 feet, (that is twice the highest possible long jump and also high jump). Using hindlimbs they can survive a challenging ecosystem. They can easily find food and survive hindrances in

5852-654: Was reported that no more dugong could be found on the west coast of the island of Hainan . Historically, dugongs were also present in the southern parts of the Yellow Sea . The last confirmed record of dugongs in Chinese waters was documented in 2008. In August 2022, an article published on the Royal Society Open Science concluded that dugongs were functionally extinct in China, which was based on

5929-415: Was seen as far south as Sydney . Although they are marine creatures, dugongs have been known to travel up creeks, and in one case a dugong was caught fifteen kilometres (8 nmi) up a creek near Cooktown . Dugongs, along with other sirenians , are referred to as "sea cows" because their diet consists mainly of seagrass , particularly the genera Halophila and Halodule . When eating they ingest

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