📷 Ranveig · Public domain
📷 MarkGGN
📷 Alberto Scarani
IUCN: Vulnerable
Dugong
Dugong dugon
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassMammalia›OrderSirenia›FamilyDugongidae›GenusDugong
About
The dugong is a marine mammal related to manatees and the only strictly marine herbivore, grazing seagrass meadows in the Indo-Pacific. Its fluke-like tail and downturned muzzle suit a life spent hovering over seagrass beds, and it can live 70 years. Females raise a single calf every few years, so populations recover slowly. Boat strikes, gillnets, and seagrass loss have eliminated dugongs from much of their former range.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Shallow coastal waters with seagrass meadows in the Indo-Pacific
🍃Diet Herbivore — seagrasses, especially the tender roots of pioneer species
📏Size & Weight Body 2.5–4 m
•weight 230–500 kg
⏳Lifespan 70 years or more
🗺Range Tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the western Pacific; largest population in northern Australia
MammalMarine
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Shallow coastal waters with seagrass meadows in the Indo-Pacific
🍃Diet Herbivore — seagrasses, especially the tender roots of pioneer species
📏Size & Weight Body 2.5–4 m
•weight 230–500 kg
⏳Lifespan 70 years or more
🗺Range Tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the western Pacific; largest population in northern Australia
Photo Credits
#1Ranveig · Public domain
#2MarkGGN · CC BY-SA 3.0
#3Alberto Scarani · CC BY-SA 3.0
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