Dugong Facts

About the dugong

One of four living sirenians, alongside three manatee species, the dugong is the last living member of the family Dugongidae. Steller's sea cow, its nearest modern relative, was wiped out by hunting in the 18th century. Dugongs swim in the coastal waters of about 40 countries and territories across the Indo-West Pacific, and northern Australia from Shark Bay to Moreton Bay is thought to be their stronghold.

Because they depend on seagrass, dugongs stick to coasts with seagrass meadows, especially wide, shallow, sheltered spots like bays, mangrove channels and waters between reefs. The body is spindle-shaped, lacking both hind limbs and a dorsal fin, and the front flippers are paddle-like. A fluked tail like a dolphin's tells a dugong apart from a manatee, and its sharply downturned snout suits feeding on the seabed.

Did you know?

• Dugongs have simple, peg-shaped molars, while manatee molars are more elaborate.
• People have hunted dugongs for meat and oil for thousands of years.
• Traditional dugong hunting is still culturally important in northern Australia and the Pacific Islands.