Dugong photo
Underwater Photo: Dugong taken in the Red Sea
Photo copyright Suzanne Challoner.
Dugong
Taken at Abu Dabab, Egyptian Red Sea.
Also known as a sea cow, Dugong's feed in the seagrass
beds of the Indo-Pacific. They are the only
herbivorous, truly marine mammal. (The related manatee
spends some of its life in fresh water.)
Being a slow swimmer, you'll find dugongs in sheltered
lagoons and bays in warm water such as are found in
the Red Sea (eg Marsa Alam), East Africa, the Philippines,
and Australia.
Adult dugongs can grow to over 3.5 m (11 ft), and may
weigh over 900 kg (2000 lb). Male dugongs begin to grow tusks between the ages of
12 and 15 years. If food is plentiful, the habitat
protected, and predation low, dugongs may live more
than 70 years.
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