What is the scientific name for dugongs?
What is the scientific name for dugongs?
Dugong dugonDugong / Scientific name
What is dugong fish?
Dugongs are cousins of manatees and share a similar plump appearance, but have a dolphin fluke-like tail. And unlike manatees, which use freshwater areas, the dugong is strictly a marine mammal.
What are dugongs used for?
They have been hunted throughout their range for use as food, oil, leather, traditional medicine and amulets as well as ornaments and jewellery. Moreover, they are often caught in nets and traps used in the fishing industry. Although there are laws banning the killing of dugongs, these are often not enforced.
Why are dugongs important to the ecosystem?
Wherever they survive, dugongs play an important role in maintaining coastal ecosystems. Their constant browsing of seagrass encourages regrowth – ensuring critical habitat and feeding sites for a host of other marine species, including turtles, dolphins and sawfish.
What classification is dugong?
MammalDugong / Class
Do dugongs eat fish?
Dugongs, also known as Sea Cows are large charismatic marine mammals that live in tropical coastal areas. They are found along the coasts of many countries around the Indian and Pacific Oceans from East Africa to Vanuatu. Dugongs are herbivores, which means they only eat plants.
What are the characteristics of a dugong?
The Dugong is a large, grey brown bulbous animal with a flattened fluked tail, like that of a whale, no dorsal fin, paddle like flippers and distinctive head shape. The broad flat muzzle and mouth are angled down to enable ease of grazing along the seabed.
Do dugongs live in freshwater?
These large creatures are found in warm water around coastlines, both north and south of the equator. They inhabit both freshwater and brackish water, where seagrass beds can be found. Australia hosts the largest number of Dugongs, with the Reef providing an important feeding ground.
What makes the dugong unique?
They’re the only completely marine mammal that has a diet consisting solely of sea grass. Their close relative, the manatee, also only eats plants but they can also be found in freshwater areas.
Why are dugongs called sea cows?
Dugongs are sometimes called ‘sea cows’ because they graze on seagrasses. These marine plants look like grass growing on a sandy sea floor in shallow, warm water. Dugongs need to eat large amounts of seagrass.
Can dugongs survive in freshwater?
They inhabit both freshwater and brackish water, where seagrass beds can be found.
What is a dugongs diet?
Diet. Dugongs are sometimes called ‘sea cows’ because they graze on seagrasses. These marine plants look like grass growing on a sandy sea floor in shallow, warm water. Dugongs need to eat large amounts of seagrass.
Do dugongs drink water?
Found in warm shallow waters, dugongs need a source of fresh water for drinking and are often found near mangroves, protected bays and inshore islands.
What is a dugong?
The dugong is a species of sea cow found throughout the warm latitudes of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It is the only member of the Dugongidae family, and its closest living relatives are the manatees. Dugongs can be quite large, reaching lengths of more than 13 feet (4 m) and weights more than one metric tonne.
Why is the Dugong endangered?
Dugongs are threatened by sea grass habitat loss or degradation because of coastal development or industrial activities that cause water pollution. If there is not enough sea grass to eat then the dugong does not breed normally. This makes the conservation of their shallow water marine habitat very important.
Are dugongs herbivores?
Ecology and Conservation of Sirenia Dugongs and manatees, the only fully aquatic herbivorous mammals, live in the coastal waters, rivers and lakes of more than 80 subtropical and tropical countries, this book synthesises the ecological and related knowledge pertinent to understanding the biology and conservation of the sirenia.
Where do dugongs live in Australia?
In many areas, the dugong has been reduced to widely separated relict populations, mainly by overhunting. The waters off Papua New Guinea and northern Australia are now the most important stronghold for the species. Dugongs live in areas where there are large quantities (“meadows”) of seagrass (family Zosteridae).