• The dugong of the order of Sirenia
• The appearance of the dugong
• The touch of the dugong
• The habitat of the dugong

The dugong of the order of Sirenia

It seems that at the origin of the ancient classic myth of the sirens there is an animal known (unfortunately not enough) with the name of dugong , belonging precisely to the order of the Sirenia together with the manatees, similar animals that inhabit totally different territories. 

Considered today vulnerable to the risk of extinction , the dugong (scientifically Dugong dugong) lives in the waters between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the Red Sea to Australia passing through the Andaman Islands and Indonesia. 

Since 1965 the hunting of the dugong has been outlawed but until then the animal targeted for the production of oil, for the consumption of meat, and for the sugar refining industry, which used the coal produced by its bone.

The appearance of the dugong

Also called ” sea cow “, the dugong shares its peculiar appearance with the manatee: it is a large herbivorous marine mammal , with fins similar to those of the dolphin, absence of dorsal fin, cylindrical fusiform body, muzzle not too dissimilar to that of the dolphin. of the walrus, although without protruding tusks, gray color. 

The dugong feeds exclusively on algae , staying close to the coasts where it can not only find abundant food but also shelter from marine predators. This is why it abounds in the bays, among the mangroves, near the mouths. Despite its appearance, the dugong is genetically closer to the elephant than to other aquatic mammals .

The touch of the dugong

The dugong has a smooth skin with a thick presence of short hair, which allows it to extend an extremely developed tactile sense  through which it orientates itself in murky waters. The longest hairs are found on the muzzle, on the horseshoe-shaped lips, to allow him to recognize the algae. 

Its color, apparently variable, is sometimes given by the growth of microalgae on its back. An adult dugong can reach 3 meters in length and exceed 400 kg in weight .

The habitat of the dugong

As previously mentioned, the dugong is at home along almost the entire east coast of Africa, including northern Madagascar . The greatest concentration of specimens is found along both coasts of the Red Sea and within the Persian Gulf . It is also present in the western coasts of India, in Thailand , in all the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines , extending north to the island of Taiwan and south to the northern coast of Australia.