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The Difference Between Dugongs and Manatees

The Difference Between Dugongs and Manatees

Written by Leisure Pro Staff
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Published on April 29, 2017

Both sea mammals of the Sirenian order, the difference between dugongs and manatees can be easily overlooked when their similarities are so obvious. They are both large-bodied, peaceful herbivores found in oceans and some freshwater bodies, and they are both related to the elephant. It is there, however, that their apparent similarities end.

Environment

dugongs and manatees
Manatee

One major difference between dugongs and manatees is their habitat. Dugongs are found in shallow, sheltered coastal areas around the Indo-West Pacific. They never leave saltwater and only eat seagrass.

Manatees can be found in marshy areas of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Amazon Basin and West Africa. They reside primarily in saltwater, but migrate to warmer freshwater areas in the winter. Their diet consists of a variety of sea plants and even some algae.

Physique

Although similar, there is a difference between dugongs and manatees in regards to their physical attributes. Two of the biggest are the structures of their tails and snouts. Dugongs have tail flukes with pointed projections at the tips, much like a whale or dolphin, but with a somewhat concave trailing edge. Manatees have paddle-shaped tails more like a beaver that moves vertically while swimming.

The snout of a dugong is broad, short, and trunk-like. It faces downward with a slit for a mouth, useful for feeding off the ocean floor. Manatees, on the other hand, have a short snout with a divided upper lip that curls around plants near the water surface. Dugongs tend to be smaller than manatees, with an average weight of 925 lbs and a length of 9 feet. Manatees weigh up to 1100 lbs and grow to nearly 12 feet in length.

dugongs and manatees
Dugong

Community

A final difference between dugongs and manatees pertains to their social lives. Both are primarily solitary animals, but have very different approaches when it comes to partners. Dugongs tend to be monogamous, living as a couple with one partner. Females begin birthing around ten years old and continue to do so every three to five years. Male manatees, on the other hand, live a more polygamous lifestyle. Females give birth around the age of three with successive births following every two to three years.

Images via La ChiquitaLola’s Big Adventure!

Leisure Pro Staff

Leisure Pro Staff

Marketing Director for LeisurePro