Dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large seagrass‑grazing sirenian of tropical/subtropicalIndo‑West Pacific shallows. As a seagrass‑meadow ecosystem engineer, it promotes productivity through grazing and sediment disturbance. Global IUCN status: Vulnerable (VU).
Basics
Scientific name: Dugong dugon
Size: 2.5–3.3 m; 230–420 kg
Longevity: typically 50–70 years; maturity ~6–17 yrs; calving interval 3–7 yrs
Ecology
Specialist grazer of seagrasses, leaving feeding trails across tidal/subtidal meadows; usually solitary, in pairs or small groups; movements follow monsoons, tides and seagrass phenology.
Identification
Fusiform body with thick skin; flipper‑like forelimbs; horizontal fluked tail; down‑turned snout and bristled mouth; adult males develop short tusks.
Threats & Conservation
Habitat loss/degradation from turbidity, reclamation, storms and heatwaves.
Human activity: vessel strikes, net entanglement/bycatch, pollution and noise.
Hunting/conflict persists locally.
Measures: protect key meadows with speed/gear limits, gear modification, seagrass restoration, stranding networks and monitoring.
