manatees and dugong sirenians (order sirenia) include the manatees and dugong sirenians, also known...
TRANSCRIPT
Manatees and Dugong
• Sirenians (order Sirenia) include the manatees and dugong
• Sirenians, also known as sea cows, have a pair of front flippers, but no rear limbs
• Swim with up-and-down strokes of their paddle- (manatee) or V- (dugong) shaped tails
• Closest land relative is the elephant!
Manatees
The Florida Manatee
Dugong
Manatees and Dugong
• Sirenians are the only herbivorous marine mammals; feed on aquatic plants and algae
• Some species live in fresh and/or brackish water
• Inhabit temperate or subtropical waters• Severely threatened by motor boat collisions,
harmful algal blooms, pollution, and severe winters
Stellar’s Sea Cow (the sirenian you’ll never see)
• The Stellar Sea Cow was a large, herbivorous marine mammal formerly abundant in the North Pacific
• Described by naturalist Wilheim Stellar in 1741; hunted to extinction within 27 years of discovery!– 8 meters long– Fed on kelp– Did otter hunting
play a role?