Water Animals Sireni

The order of sirenians contains five species in two families (Dugongidae and Trichechidae). The four living species of the  sireni are the dugong, Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee and African manatee. One species  is extinct. The members of the order Sirenia are believed to be relatives of the elephants. Members of this order live their lives in the water and feed primarily on vegetation. They are seal-like animals with big streamlined bodies. To avoid danger a manatee or dugong can swim up to 16 miles per hour, but usually they swim much, much slower. The three species of manatees, and the closely related dugong, are unique in that they are the only plant-eating marine mammals in modern times. The most dangerous threat to them is hunting, fishing nets and boat accidents.The Dugald is the smallest member of the order of the Sirenia. The name 'Dugong' comes from the Malay word 'dupion', which means "lady of the sea" or "mermaid".  The best chance to encounter the dugongs is in northern Australian waters, where most of their population live. Dugongs don't see that well, instead they use their acute hearing. They feed in the shallow waters on seagrass with the aid of coarse, sensitive bristles, which cover the upper lip of their large and fleshy snout. Remember they are closely related to elephants? Dugong males have small tusks, which they use during the mating season to challenge other dugongs.