First, let's find out who the sirens are? This class of herbivorous mammals, consisting of four members, lives in the water, feeding on algae and sea grass in the shallow coastal zone. They have a massive cylindrical body, thick skin with folds, reminiscent of seal skin. But, unlike the latter, sirens do not have the ability to move on land, since during the course of evolution, the paws were completely transformed into fins. There are no hind limbs or dorsal fins.
The dugong is the smallest member of the siren family. The length of her body does not exceed 4 m, and her weight is 600 kg. Males grow larger than females. Dugong fossils date back 50 million years. Then these animals still had 4 limbs and could move on land, but still spent most of their lives in water. Over time, they completely lost the ability to reach the surface of the earth. Their weak fins are not capable of supporting more than 500 kg. weight of the mammal.
Dugong swimmers are not important. They move near the bottom very carefully and slowly, eating vegetation. In the fields, sea cows not only nibble grass, but also lift bottom soil and sand with their snouts, looking for succulent roots. For these purposes, the dugong's mouth and tongue are calloused, which help them in chewing food. In adult individuals, the upper teeth grow into short tusks up to 7 cm in length. With their help, the animal uproots the grass, leaving characteristic grooves on the bottom, by which one can determine that a sea cow has grazed here.
Their habitat directly depends on the amount of grass and algae that the dugong consumes as food. When there is a lack of grass, animals do not disdain small benthic vertebrates. This change in feeding habits is associated with a catastrophic decline in the volume of aquatic vegetation in some areas where sea cows live. Without this “extra” feeding, dugongs would become extinct in some areas of the Indian Ocean. Currently, the number of animals is dangerously low. Near Japan, dugong herds number only 50 animals. In the Persian Gulf, the exact number of animals is not known, but, apparently, it does not exceed 7,500 individuals. Small populations of dugongs are found in the Red Sea, the Philippines, the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Johor.
Man has hunted dugongs since ancient times. Even in Neolithic times, rock paintings of sea cows can be found on the walls of primitive people. At all times, animals were hunted for fat and meat, which tasted like the usual veal. Sea cow bones were sometimes used to make figurines resembling ivory crafts.
Uncontrolled extermination of dugongs, as well as environmental degradation, has led to an almost complete decline in the number of dugongs around the world. So, from the middle of the 20th century. the number of animals in northern Australia alone has decreased from 72 thousand to a catastrophic 4 thousand. And this part of the Indian Ocean is the most favorable for the life of sea cows. In the Persian Gulf, military conflicts caused serious damage to the ecological situation of the region, as a result of which the dugong population there practically disappeared.
Currently, dugongs are listed in the International Red Book. Their fishing is prohibited, and production is permitted only to local aboriginal tribes.
Dugong ( Dugong dugon) - the only herbivorous mammal that lives exclusively in seawater. In addition, the dugong is the only modern representative of the dugong family from the sirenian order.
Who are the sirens? This class of herbivorous mammals, consisting of four members, lives in the water, feeding on algae and sea grass in the shallow coastal zone. They have a massive cylindrical body, thick skin with folds, reminiscent of seal skin. But, unlike the latter, sirens do not have the ability to move on land, since during the course of evolution, the paws were completely transformed into fins. There are no hind limbs or dorsal fins.
The name "dugong" comes from the Malay word "duyung", which translates to "mermaid" or "sea maiden". In the Middle Ages, dugongs were presented to the narrow-minded public as sea mermaids. In Japan on about. Fiji sea cows were caught for special aquariums in which people were invited to look at supposedly accidentally caught mermaids.
The body length of dugongs is 2.5-4 meters, and their weight can reach 600 kg, although on average these animals weigh 300 kg. Males are larger than females. The small head is connected by a short neck to a massive body. The back of the body ends in a horizontal caudal fin. The two lobes of the dugong's tail are separated by a notch, just like in representatives of the cetacean order. The forelimbs are flexible, flipper-shaped fins 35-45 centimeters long. Dugongs have small eyes and nostrils on their heads with valves that close underwater. There are no auricles. The muzzle ends with large lips hanging down. Dugongs have vibrissae on the upper lip, and the lower lip consists of keratinized areas. Young dugongs have about 26 teeth, which are devoid of enamel and roots. With age, some of the teeth wear down, and in males, the upper incisors turn into small tusks protruding from the gums by 6-7 centimeters. The bones of the skeleton are thick and strong.
Dugongs have rough skin, covered with sparse single hairs, and can reach two to two and a half centimeters in thickness. The color is gray or brown, the belly is lighter than the rest of the body. With age, skin color darkens.
Fossil remains of dugongs date back to 50 million years. Then these animals still had 4 limbs and could move on land, but spent most of their lives in water. Over time, they completely lost the ability to reach the surface of the earth. Their weak fins are not capable of supporting 500 kg. weight of the mammal.
Dugong swimmers are not important. They move near the bottom very carefully and slowly tear off vegetation using their muscular upper lip. In the fields, sea cows not only nibble grass, but also lift bottom soil and sand with their snouts, looking for succulent roots. For these purposes, the dugong's mouth and tongue are calloused, which help them in chewing food. In adult individuals, the upper teeth grow into short tusks up to 7 cm in length. With their help, the animal uproots the grass, leaving characteristic grooves on the bottom, by which one can determine that a sea cow has grazed here.
A dugong can eat up to 40 kilograms of vegetation in a day. The dugong can remain underwater for up to 10-15 minutes, but during feeding it comes to the surface every 2-3 minutes. Usually, before eating a plant, the dugong rinses it in water. There are known cases when these animals piled algae in heaps near the shore and ate them after the silt settled.
Dugongs reach sexual maturity in the ninth or tenth year of their life. The breeding season continues all year round. But its peaks occur in different months in different parts of the range. During the mating season, males engage in battles for females, using their tusks as weapons. Pregnancy is expected to last a year. The female swims to shallow water and there gives birth to one, rarely two, cubs. One hundred and twenty centimeter newborn is quite active from the first days of life. Such a baby weighs 20-35 kg. While swimming, the cub rests on the back of the material, and sucks milk, turning over with its belly up.
As for males, they do not take part in raising offspring. 3 months after birth, young dugongs begin to eat algae and gather in schools in shallow water. But mothers do not refuse milk until 12-18 months. These peaceful animals can live up to 70 years.
The dugong's habitat spans at least 48 countries and approximately 140,000 km of coastline. This animal lives in the coastal waters of eastern Africa and the western parts of Madagascar and India. It is found off the coast of almost all countries of Southeast Asia, as well as the northern half of Australia. In addition, dugongs live among the coral reefs of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Dugongs live in algae-rich coastal areas, shallow bays and lagoons.
The habitat directly depends on the amount of grass and algae that the dugong consumes as food. When there is a lack of grass, animals do not disdain small benthic vertebrates. This change in feeding habits is associated with a catastrophic decline in the volume of aquatic vegetation in some areas where sea cows live. Without this “extra” feeding, dugongs would become extinct in some areas of the Indian Ocean. Currently, the number of animals is dangerously low. Near Japan, dugong herds number only 50 animals. In the Persian Gulf, the exact number of animals is not known, but, apparently, it does not exceed 7,500 individuals. Small populations of dugongs are found in the Red Sea, the Philippines, the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Johor.
Man has hunted dugongs since ancient times. Even in Neolithic times, rock paintings of sea cows can be found on the walls of primitive people. At all times, animals were hunted for meat, which tasted like “earthly” veal, and fat. Sea cow bones were sometimes used to make figurines resembling ivory crafts.
Uncontrolled extermination of dugongs, as well as environmental degradation, has led to an almost complete decline in the number of dugongs around the world. So, from the middle of the 20th century. the number of animals in northern Australia alone has decreased from 72 thousand to a catastrophic 4 thousand. And this part of the Indian Ocean is the most favorable for the life of sea cows. In the Persian Gulf, military conflicts caused serious damage to the ecological situation of the region, as a result of which the dugong population there practically disappeared.
Currently, dugongs are listed in the International Red Book. Catching them using nets is prohibited, and production is allowed only to aborigines.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Mammals
Squad: Sirens
Family: Dugongidae
Genus: Dugong
View: Dugong dugon
“Mermaid” or “sea maiden” is what this fancy name for an aquatic mammal means. It is worth noting that in fact, the dugong bears little resemblance to a mermaid and a sea maiden, but there are still a few similarities - these are protruding mammary glands and an unusual tail.
You will not believe! The dugong is the only representative of the dugong genus of the same family of the sirenian order! You can meet it in the Indian Ocean and in the northern waters of Australia. It has been recorded that just a few years ago dugongs had the ability to get onto land.
Appearance
The length of the animal's body reaches 2.5 - 4 m. The dugong weighs up to 600 kg. Females and males can be distinguished by size: males are usually much larger. Dugongs have a small head and look disproportionate on such a large body. The body ends with a caudal fin, which resembles the tail of cetaceans. The skin of these mammals is thick and rough - reaches a thickness of 2.5 cm. With age, it becomes darker, the belly is slightly lighter than the main color.
The dugong has no ears, and its eyes are very small. The lips are heavy and drooping. Thanks to the vibrissae, which are located above the upper lip, it is easier for dugongs to tear off algae. 26 teeth in the oral cavity are the norm for a young dugong. The male can also be distinguished by the presence of tusks, into which the upper incisors turn into in adulthood. The bones of the animal are strong and durable.
Where does the dugong live?
Dugongs used to have a wide range of habitats. They could be found near the coast of Western Europe. Today they live only in the waters of the Indian Ocean, as well as in the South Pacific Ocean. The largest population of these aquatic inhabitants is recorded in the Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef.
Lifestyle
Coastal waters and shallow waters are considered a comfortable habitat for dugongs, so they rarely go out to the open sea. The main occupation of these animals, which takes up almost all their free time, is feeding. They feed in shallow waters and in coral reefs at a depth of 1-5 m. Most of all they love seaweed and aquatic plants. They grab food with their fleshy lips and then rise to the surface to inhale. Just imagine, this animal consumes up to 40 kg of aquatic vegetation per day!
They prefer to live alone, but go out to feed in groups of 3-6 animals. They do not like to migrate, so they prefer a sedentary lifestyle. Some animals undergo seasonal movements, which are influenced by water level and temperature, food availability, and human disturbance. The speed of dugongs is unimpressive - 10 km/h, but in a state of fear they accelerate to 18 km/h. When swimming, they use their tail and fins.
Dugongs are very quiet animals. Only the lucky ones can hear their whistle. They only make it when they are scared or excited. They see very poorly, but their hearing is quite well developed. Dugongs cannot live in captivity.
Reproduction
Dugongs breed all year round. The place where animals continue their lineage does not matter. Having chosen a suitable female, the dugong fights for her, using its tusks. Pregnant females carry the baby for a year. During one pregnancy, 1 or 2 dugongs are born, which are already very active from birth. When very young, dugongs gather in groups in shallow waters. Females nurse their young for 8-12 months. But babies do not lag behind in development, so already at 3 months they feed on grass on their own. Males do not take part in raising their children.
At a more mature age (9-10 years), dugongs begin an independent life. They live in the natural environment for a long time - up to 70 years, provided there is no danger from outside, which are the main enemies of these marine inhabitants.
Man and dugong
Dugong is highly prized among poachers. Firstly, dugong meat tastes like veal, so among gourmets it is considered an expensive delicacy. Secondly, fat, hide and bones are also used for various purposes, especially for making ivory crafts. Asians use animal body parts for a variety of rituals and medicine. That is why in some habitats these animals have disappeared completely or partially.
The most revered sacred animal in India is the cow. And in the depths of the Indian Ocean lives a mysterious marine inhabitant - the dugong.
The dugong is an aquatic mammal of the sirenian family that lives in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, as well as in the northern waters of Australia. This is a rather large and unusual animal.
The name “dugong” translated from Malay means “sea maiden”, “mermaid”. In the old days, myths about sirens and mermaids were created in the image of the dugong.
First of all, let's try to clarify who the sirens are. Sirens are a class of herbivorous mammals that includes only four members. They live in water; their main food is sea grass and algae. Because dugongs graze in shallow, secluded coastal waters, they are often called sea cows.
Mammals have a massive cylindrical body, thick skin, with many folds, which is very similar in appearance to seals. However, dugongs, unlike seals, cannot move on land. During the process of evolution, their paws were completely transformed into fins. Hind limbs and dorsal fins are also missing.
Of all the sirenians, dugongs are the smallest. The body length is no more than 4 meters, and the weight is about 600 kg. Females usually grow much smaller than males.
The first remains of dugongs are dated back to 20 million years ago. In those distant times, these animals were able to move calmly on land, since they had all four limbs. But even then they spent more time in the water. And after a certain period of time, they completely lost the ability to get to the surface of the earth. The reason for this was their large weight, since weak fins simply cannot physically withstand about 500 kg of the weight of a mammal.
And dugongs don’t swim very quickly or skillfully either. Basically, they move carefully along the bottom, pushing off with their front fins. In the “sea fields” they not only eat grass and algae, but also lift sand and bottom soil with their muzzles in search of succulent roots. Nature has endowed sea cows with a calloused mouth and tongue to make it easier for them to chew treats. In adult dugongs, the upper teeth transform into small tusks (about 7 cm long). With the help of their tusks, it is easier for them to uproot grass, while they leave characteristic grooves on the bottom. It is from such tracks that it is very easy to determine the places where sea cows graze.
The habitat of sirens depends on the presence of algae and grass, which they eat. When grass becomes scarce, small benthic vertebrates become a delicacy. This change in food preferences is caused by a catastrophic decline in the amount of aquatic vegetation in some dugong habitats. And without such “additional” feeding, sea cows would not be able to survive in some areas of the Indian Ocean.
Today, the population of these wonderful animals has sharply declined. In Japan, the number of dugongs is only about 50. And the Persian Gulf is home to approximately 7,500 individuals, although this is a rather arbitrary figure. Small numbers of dugongs remain in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Philippines and Strait of Johor.
Even in ancient times, people hunted sirens. During the Neolithic era, primitive people left rock paintings of dugongs on the walls. The main purpose of hunting then was the fat and meat of animals, as it tasted very similar to “earthly” veal. And the bones of marine mammals were used as material for various crafts and figurines.
Dugongs are peaceful animals. And this was often used by hunters for their valuable skin and fat, as well as meat. Moreover, poaching has reached such proportions that the dugong population now needs legislative protection. Otherwise, this species faces extinction, a fate that befell the larger sea cow Stellera (they were completely exterminated in just a few decades).
Unpunished hunting of dugongs, as well as global environmental problems, have led to the almost complete extinction of sea cows around the world. Today, dugongs are listed in the International Red Book with the status of “vulnerable species”. There is a strict ban on catching animals with nets, and harvesting is allowed only to indigenous peoples.
Dugong(lat. Dugong dugon) - aquatic mammal; the only modern representative of the dugong genus of the dugong family of the sirenian order. The name "dugong" comes from the Malay duyung, meaning "mermaid", "sea maiden".
The smallest representative of the siren order: body length 2.5-4 m, weight reaches 600 kg. The maximum recorded body length (a male caught in the Red Sea) was 5.8 m. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: males are larger than females.
Dugong range quite large and includes the warm coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the Red Sea. The largest population of dugongs lives along the northern coast of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay, and the second largest is found in the waters of the Arabian Gulf.
But the concept of a “large population” in relation to dugongs is very relative: for hundreds of years they were hunted for their meat, skin, bones and fat, so now the species is seriously threatened, it is listed in the Red Book and is under international protection.
The dugong differs from its closest relatives, manatees, by its powerful, flat, large tail, like a whale’s, which gives it the ability to cover long distances. And with its flippers - like a rudder - the dugong sets the direction of movement. The dugong has no hind limbs, and its brown skin is covered with short, stiff bristles. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat makes his body round. The dugong's muzzle appears stubby and ends in fleshy lips that hang down. The nasal openings are located on the upper lip, and to make breathing easier, the dugong bends it in a special way. Small tusks grow in the mouth - in males they are noticeably larger, and in females they are hidden in the jaws.
The dugong plucks algae from the bottom with its muscular upper lip. If it weren't for the need to surface every six minutes to take a breath, the dugong would only eat. These animals grow up to 3 m in length and weigh about 500 kg. In favorable conditions, their average life expectancy is 70 years. They spend most of this time alone or with a partner - although sometimes, in large populations, they may gather in flocks.
These animals reach sexual maturity between the ages of ten and seventeen years. Females give birth to offspring once every three years. The baby develops in the womb for 12 months, and as soon as it is born, the mother pushes it to the surface to take its first breath. Females feed their offspring with breast milk for 18-24 months.
These slow, quiet animals are easy prey for many predators. But fortunately for the dugong, its imposing figure scares off most of them. Only killer whales, the largest sharks and crocodiles can pose a threat to the dugong.
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