Marine Species under Threat: Manatees

Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), and the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis). They measure up to 13 feet (4.0 m) long, weigh as much as 1,300 pounds (590 kg),[1] and have paddle-like flippers.

Apart from mothers with their young, or males following a receptive female, manatees are generally solitary animals.

The manatee's body is streamlined - full around the middle and narrowing to a paddle-shaped tail. The true color of a manatee is gray, although it may appear brownish gray. Amazonian manatees usually have white or pink patches on the belly and chest. Organisms such as algae, which may grow on the skin of slow-moving individuals, alter the body color and make some manatees look more green or brown.

Quick stats of Manatees:

COMMON NAME:  Manatee, Sea cow

KINGDOM:  Animalia

PHYLUM:      Chordata

CLASS:          Mammalia

ORDER:        Sirenia

FAMILY:       Trichecidae

Manatees are primarily herbivores. They feed on a wide variety of submerged, emergent, floating, and shoreline vegetation. Manatees in Florida feed on more than 60 species of plants including turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, various algae, water hyacinth, acorns, and hydrilla. Manatees consume about 4% to 9% (15 to 49 kg or 32-108 lb. for an average adult manatee) of their body weight in wet vegetation daily.