Dugong

Dugong dugon

Dugong

“ Most style is not honest enough. ”

– Frank Lawrence Lucas

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Sirenia

Family: Dugongidae

Genius: Dugong

Species: Dugong dugon

Descendant: Sirenians

Named by: Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller

Year Published: 1776

Size: 3 metres (10 ft) in length, and weights of 420 kilograms (930 lb)

Type: 

Title: 

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Miocene - Holocene

Alignment: Shy

Threat Level: ★★

Diet: Omnivorous

Elements: Water

Inflicts: Waterblight

Weaknesses: Fire, nature, electric, light, dark

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: 

Dugong (Dugong dugon; Baybayin: ᜇᜓᜄᜓᜅ᜔) is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. The Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), which is its closest living relative, was hunted to extinction in the 18th century, making it the only surviving member of the once diverse family Dugongidae.

Etymology

The word "dugong" derives from the Visayan (probably Cebuano) dugung. The name was first adopted and popularized by the French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, as "dugon" in Histoire Naturelle (1765), after descriptions of the animal from the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The name ultimately derives from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *duyuŋ. Despite common misconception, the term does not come from Malay duyung and it does not mean "lady of the sea" (Mermaid).


It is known as the balguja by the Wunambal people of the Mitchell Plateau area in the Kimberley, Western Australia.

Physical Appearance

The dugong has a fusiform body and lacks a dorsal fin or hind limbs, like all modern sirenians. The forelimbs, or flippers, resemble paddles. The dugong may easily be distinguished from manatees because of its fluked, dolphin-like tail, but it also has a unique head and set of teeth. The animal's severely downturned nose is an adaptation for feeding in benthic seagrass habitats. The molar teeth are simple and peg-like, in contrast to the manatees' more complicated molar dentition.


The dugong is cylindrical in shape with tapering ends and a huge body. It has thick, silky skin that is cream in color when it is young but darkens laterally and dorsally as it develops, turning brownish to dark gray. A dugong's skin can change color due to algal development. Short hair is sparsely covered on the body, a trait shared by sirenians that may aid in their ability to sense their environment through touch. These hairs are the most developed around the mouth, which has a broad upper lip that is shaped like a horseshoe and makes the muzzle very flexible. The strong upper lip of the dugong aids in food gathering.

Abilities

Dugongs are semi-nomadic species that dwell in one spot their entire lives but periodically wander vast distances in search of food. Many people go together from one place to another. Variations in the availability of seagrass are suggested to be the reason for these motions. After considerable travel, they may use their memory to go back to particular locations.

Ecology

The oldest dugong ever discovered was 73 years old, and they lived a long time. Young dugongs are at risk from animals like crocodiles, killer whales, and sharks, even though they have few natural predators. Additionally, it has been reported that one dugong died from injuries sustained after being impaled by a stingray barb. Numerous parasitic diseases and infections can affect dugongs. Among the pathogens that have been found are helminths, cryptosporidium, different bacterial infections, and additional parasites that have not yet been named. The disease is suspected to have contributed to 30% of dugong deaths in Queensland since 1996.


Despite being gregarious creatures, they are typically solitary or in pairs since seagrass beds cannot maintain large groups of them. Dugongs are semi-nomadic animals that frequently travel great distances in search of food yet remain within a specific range for the entirety of their lives. Many people go together from one place to another. It is believed that variations in the availability of seagrass are to blame for these movements. After extensive travel, they can use their memory to go back to particular locations.

Behavior

Even though dugongs are timid, kind animals, they can be alarmed if someone comes too close to them. They are not hazardous if you don't try to touch them, swim with them, or cause them any other kind of distress. Dugongs have become a popular tourist destination. Tourists are welcome to swim with them or watch from boats.

Distribution and Habitat

In its habitat, which includes the waters of about 40 nations and territories in the Indo-West Pacific, the dugong is the only sirenian species. The dugong is restricted to coastal habitats that support seagrass meadows because it is largely dependent on seagrass communities for survival. The largest dugong concentrations typically occur in wide, shallow, protected areas like bays, mangrove channels, the waters of large inshore islands, and inter-reefal waters. Dugongs inhabit coastal and island waters between East Africa and Vanuatu, between latitudes of about 27° north and south of the Equator.


The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil. Traditional hunting still has great cultural significance in several countries in its modern range, particularly northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. The dugong's current distribution is fragmented, and many populations are believed to be close to extinction. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products. Despite being legally protected in many countries, the main causes of population decline remain anthropogenic and include fishing-related fatalities, habitat degradation, and hunting. With its long lifespan of 70 years or more and slow rate of reproduction, the dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction.


Tamed

To tame the animal, you must adhere to two rules. The first step is to keep feeding the dugong. The second is to exterminate or distract the nearby animals' attention. It would be advantageous to use a swift water mount to stay close to the dugong while feeding it kelp, seaweed, or clams.

Lore

Miocene to Bereshit - 23,000,000-70,000 BCE

The Sirenia order of placental mammals, which also includes manatees and other contemporary "sea cows" like dugongs, also includes dugongs. Only Sirenia are fully aquatic herbivorous mammals, making them the only extant group of herbivorous marine mammals. Early Eocene-recent sirenians are thought to have a 50 million year old fossil record. During the Oligocene and Miocene, they reached a modest level of diversity, but as a result of climatic cooling, oceanographic changes, and human interference, their diversity later declined.


In 300,000 BCE, the Project Pashneia, a scientific initiative by the Terran branch of Aesirs or Deities to create or alter all creatures, including humans and recent animals, was where Eostre modified the dugong. The Aurorium neurotransmitters, which were located deep within the dugong brain, were a system of receptors created especially to react to certain Terran Ancient Artifacts or Pieces of Eden made of adamantium that were in charge of influencing emotions, thoughts, behavior, and adding or enhancing magical abilities.


Dugong - 9,999 BCE-present AD

Dugongs feature in Southeast Asian, especially Austronesian, folklore. In languages like Ilocano, Mapun, Yakan, Tausug, and Kadazan Dusun of the Philippines and Sabah, the name for dugongs is a synonym for "mermaid". In Malay, they are sometimes referred to as perempoen laut ("woman of the sea") or putri duyong ("dugong princess"), leading to the misconception that the word "dugong" itself means "lady of the sea". A common belief found in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, is that dugongs were originally human or part-human (usually women), and that they cry when they are butchered or beached. Because of this, it is considered bad luck if a dugong is killed or accidentally dies in nets or fish corrals in the Philippines, some parts of Sabah (Malaysia), and northern Sulawesi and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia). Dugongs are predominantly not traditionally hunted for food in these regions and they remained plentiful until around the 1970s.


Dugongs were traditionally hunted in Palau using heavy spears from canoes. Poaching is still a significant issue even though it is prohibited and dugong killing is generally condemned. Also heavily hunted are dugongs in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, where their meat and ornaments made of their bones and tusks are prized in feasts and customary ceremonies. In some parts of Vanuatu, however, hunting dugongs is frowned upon. For many years, Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders considered dugong meat and oil to be among their most prized foods. Dugongs are seen as a part of Aboriginal identity by some.

Known Individuals

Foreign Languages

Trivia